


It's a Fine Line

by Gemstar24



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arkham Asylum, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Batman - Freeform, Bruce Wayne - Freeform, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Flashbacks, Foster Care, Gotham, Harley Quinn - Freeform, Joan Leland - Freeform, Lucy Quinzel - Freeform, Nolanverse, Pamela Isley - Freeform, Poison Ivy - Freeform, Pre-Joker, Self-Harm, The Dark Knight - Freeform, The Joker - Freeform, tdk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:09:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 35
Words: 63,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23399731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemstar24/pseuds/Gemstar24
Summary: In this post-TDK AU, Harley is The Joker's best kept secret. She is a part of his past left untouched. When she is pulled into his world she must decide if she wants to cross the line into madness. Not related to the Reflection Series.
Relationships: Joker (DCU)/Harleen Quinzel
Comments: 17
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

It was just after one in the morning when he pulled off from the dark dirt road into the gravel driveway. As he parked the car, the security light affixed to the roof of the garage lit up and reflected off his smudged painted white face. After exiting the car, he slammed the door shut behind him and the sound echoed loudly in the otherwise quiet farmland. He leaned against the door for a few more drags on his cigarette in the crisp fall air. He looked at the old house he very seldom visited anymore. It was a three hour drive from Gotham and he was busy these days. Sometimes he felt sure that when he arrived, it will have all been a dream - the insanity finally taking over and erasing this last remaining piece of his humanity. This hidden secret he kept for so long.

When the cold finally got to him, he dropped the butt and scrubbed it out with his foot before heading up the creaky wooden porch decorated with a crudely cut jack-o-lantern. He tapped the pumpkin with the toe of his loafer as he reached into his purple greatcoat pulling out a set of keys. He quietly opened the front door and locked it again behind him, typing in the security  
code to the alarm before it could go off. The house was dark except for a few strategically placed night lights and the glow of the light that hung above the sink spilling out from the kitchen in the back. He toed off his brown leather shoes near the door and hung his coat in the closet. Walking through the living room he meandered through a sea of Hello Kitty tea set pieces and Cabbage Patch dolls before making it to the kitchen. She always kept it clean. She always felt better going to bed with tidy countertops even if the rest of the house had gone to hell. He snooped in the fridge and pulled out a plate of leftover grilled chicken and asparagus. He made a face at the green stuff, but ate the meat cold with his fingers as he sat at the small kitchen table. There was a more formal dining room attached to the kitchen, but it was never used. Her weekly planner sat open on the table and after wiping his hands off on his pants, he pulled it to him and looked at what she had planned for the week. There was a preschool schedule, dinner ideas, bill due dates, a coffee date with a woman whose name he didn't recognize and written in black ink the words "Jack and Harley 10 years". That was this weekend and he had completely forgotten the occasion. Not that their anniversary meant nothing to him, it was just that he had other things on his mind. He tongued the scars at the cracks on his mouth as he thought about how he wouldn't be with her. He had other matters to attend to. Mob bosses to swindle, bats to fight. She wouldn't have assumed he would be there anyway. His attentiveness sailed years ago.

He sent her to live in upstate New York a couple of years after they got married after realizing she wasn't safe and was a liability for him if she stayed in Gotham. He bought her this old house, fixed it up for her and she lived there alone for years before Lucy was born. Lucy was a mistake. He never wanted kids, but one round of antibiotics negated Harley's birth control that month and now they had a four-year-old. He barely knew his daughter aside from what Harley told him on their occasional phone calls and his rare visits. He was almost ashamed that he didn't think of her much. His last visit to the house was about three months ago. He never told Harley when he was coming, didn't want to get her hopes up if he had to back out. He also liked to keep her on her toes. He trusted her, but he also knew how easy it would be to be tempted to find a man that would be more dedicated, there to fix things around the house, one that didn't smell of gasoline.

Putting his plate in the sink, he made his way upstairs to her bedroom. He passed Lucy's room on his way and he peeked in to see her sleeping under a mound of pink and white blankets and armed with an arsenal of stuffed animals. Her tiny leg stuck out from under the covers. He reached for the doorknob and closed the door completely before moving further down the hall. Harley's room was darker and just like Lucy, she slept under a mound of blankets with one slender leg peeking out from the covers. He slipped into the bathroom to wash the rest of his greasepaint off before removing his holster and stripping down to his boxers and argyle socks. He scrubbed his fingernails with a brush, removing what was probably caked on blood and other unidentifiable grime. Running a hand through his messy green curls he shut off the bathroom light and crawled into bed next to her.

At first she didn't stir, but a moment later he could see her eyes flutter in the dark. In a groggy voice she spoke, "Jack?" as she reached out and touched his scarred cheek. He rested his lips against her wrist and pulled her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and nuzzled her face into his neck.

He almost didn't recognize his old name anymore. She was the only one alive who knew it. He never expected her to start calling him Joker and he didn't think she had ever even uttered the word. His life in Gotham was never spoken about between them. When they were together they pretended it didn't exist. For all he cared, she could think that he went away on Peace Corps missions, only visiting between his humanitarian efforts. She knew better, but she only knew about what he was up to based on news reports.

"I missed you.", she whispered quietly.

He tightened his arms around her. "I'm sure you did." His voice sounded gravelly due to non use over the past several hours.

She gave a small smile and propped herself up to get a better look at him. She bit her lip playfully, now fully awake. "Will you stay a while?", she asked hopefully with her hand moving down his bare chest.

He let out a small grunt and ran a hand through her golden hair, letting it gently snag on the tangles. "Can't, babydoll. Just til morning." She felt her eyes dampen at his words and quickly hid her face in his neck again to hide her disappointment. She nodded her head to let him know she understood.

His visits used to be every weekend when she first moved out to the country and now she was lucky to see him once a quarter. Her fear was that he would finally forget her completely and be she would be replaced with his all consuming obsession with Batman.

She popped her thigh over his, trying to get as close as possible. She gently brushed his neck with her lips. He had never rejected her advances before, but she continually grew weary of him, always nervous of his aloofness toward her. She felt she wanted him more than he wanted her. He didn't respond at first so she placed a few more firm kisses to his neck and a soft lick of her tongue.

"It's late, Harl. Don't you want to go to sleep?"

"Jack, please?", she quietly begged.

He turned on his side to face her and she ran the tips of her fingers down the knotted scar on his cheek. She knew his scars well and she was the only one who had ever touched them and lived. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close as he finally accepted her affections.

After pulling off her clothes unceremoniously, he made it fast and hard, punctuated by rough kisses she assumed were for her benefit. They stared into each other's eyes, not making a sound aside from labored breathing. It was a far cry from their passionate lovemaking in the early years and it left her feeling empty. After he was done, she quickly rolled on her side away from him and pulled the blankets up over her shoulders. She heard a scoffing sound from him as he leaned against the headboard. He made some noise as he pawed through the nightstand looking for a stray cigarette and lighter. She heard him inhale and she drifted off to sleep with teary eyes and the smell of heavy smoke surrounded her.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few hours were restless for Harley as she fought off nightmares. Images and sounds from memories long ago exaggerated by the harshness of an overactive mind. At five o' clock she woke with a start. The Joker laid motionless beside her with an arm draped over his eyes. She sat up and pressed her palms against her sweaty forehead before standing up and shuffling to the bathroom.

His discarded clothes were scattered on the floor and his purple suit coat sat folded in half on the countertop. She ran her hand across the material. It was stained from years of wear. Blood and oil and other mysterious substances had soaked through the fabric, staining the inner lining. As she ran her hand over the pocket she could feel several blades clink together. She pulled her hand away quickly and decided to get in the shower.

After the warm water turned cold, she slipped on her bra and panties and threw a thin blue robe over herself. She made her way through the still dark house and started the coffee pot. Her mind returned to the thoughts she started in the shower. She kicked herself for always feeling the same way. Every time Jack left after a brief visit she was angry and sad and determined that the next time he showed his face she would finally tell him off. But as time passed, her anger dissipated as she began to miss him, forgetting he was no longer her Jack. Her Jack left long ago and was replaced by the Joker. Every time he visited, The Joker had taken over Jack's body more and more and she didn't think there was anything left of her husband behind those brown eyes. She hated the Joker.

She made her coffee with cream and sugar just as little feet plodded into the kitchen behind her. Harley turned to see the little blonde girl rubbing her eyes and holding a plushy pink blanket.

Harley tucked her sour mood behind a big fake smile. "Well good morning, sunshine!", she said brightly. It was difficult to hide her constant sadness from Lucy as she was so perceptive for a girl of only four, but she always blamed it on a rough day or a headache. As far as Lucy knew, her father worked out of town for long periods of time.

It wasn't long before Lucy was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of blueberry oatmeal while Harley drank her coffee. Lucy was going on and on about a dream she had about a cat with a big smile. Noticing that Harley's thoughts were elsewhere, she concluded with, "It was a little creepy." and she went back to eating.

The Joker had woken up and got dressed in a clean set of clothes that he kept at the house, black jeans and a dark blue button up. His stringy greenish, dirty blond hair was rarely brushed through, mostly due to the curls. His face was bare of any paint although he had permanent rings around his eyes from the constant smudges of black making him appear worn and tired. He made his way down to the kitchen. Harley hadn't mentioned anything about him being home to Lucy in case he decided not to come. Lucy looked up surprised when she heard him shuffle into the room behind her.

"Oh! Daddy's home!", she said with a big smile to Harley.

"I know, I know!", Harley replied with mock enthusiasm. "Go ahead, give him a hug." She nodded and pulled her mug back up to her lips.

Lucy spun on her chair to climb down and she hopped over to the Joker where he was standing pouring himself a cup of coffee. She wrapped her small arms around his legs and beamed up at him. Her white blonde curls were a tangled mess and her blue eyes were full of admiration.

"Hey, sweet thing.", he said in a low voice as he patted her on the head awkwardly. With one hand he untangled her arms from his legs and directed her back to the table. He walked over and took a seat next to Harley. He was stiff and it made the atmosphere awkward. Lucy sat in her seat beaming at her father. His eyes reluctantly drifted towards her and he chewed the inside of his cheek before returning his focus to mug in his hand. 

Unable to stand the uncomfortable silence any longer, Harley stood up and started to make some toast. She glanced over at him, "Toast?"

"Nah, I gotta go soon.", he said and waved his hand.

"Go? But you just got here!", Lucy said with a whine that made the Joker's eye twitch.

"Now Lucy, your daddy has work to do. We're lucky that we get to see him this morning." Harley said as she sent a glare toward him after Lucy looked away. His lips pursed.

"Daddy can ride with us to preschool, can't he mommy?", Lucy begged with big blue pleading eyes.

Harley looked pointedly at the Joker and with a sigh he nodded his head. "Sure, baby girl. I'll go with ya."

"Eat your oatmeal, Lucy.", Harley said as she finished her coffee.

Soon the two girls were ready to go. Harley had thrown on a pair of black leggings underneath a red sweatshirt. Her hair was tossed in a messy bun. The Joker eyed her as she put on her tennis shoes.

Harley shrugged, "What? It's just drop off. Who am I trying to impress?", she said as she headed out the door in front of him. 

The ride to Lucy's preschool wasn't long, but the scenery along the way made the Joker feel out of place. They traveled along winding roads flanked by pine trees. There were no skyscrapers, only one or two story buildings housing mom and pop businesses and liquor stores. The fresh air and his bare face made him itch to get back to Gotham.

Lucy managed to fill any awkward silences with her singing and attempts to play I Spy.

"I spy... something green!", she said with a giggle.

The Joker looked out the window to the literal thousands of evergreen varieties.

After a moment he replied, "Could it possibly be a, uh, tree?", he said with mock enthusiasm which made Harley shoot him an annoyed look as she drove.

"No daddy!", Lucy giggled. "It's your hair!"

Aside from his scars and his green tinted hair, Lucy never saw anything of the real Joker. She had never seen his painted face nor his trademark purple suits. She rarely saw that he carried a gun although in this part of the state, it wasn't unusual for people to carry. Lucy had no idea that her father was a mass murderer, a criminal mastermind, or possibly the most feared man in the country.

Before another round of her game could begin, Harley pulled into the drop off lane of Lucy's preschool. Lucy unbuckled herself from her carseat as Harley hopped out to open the door for her and give her a kiss. "Bye honey. Have a good day."

Lucy blew the Joker a kiss as she yelled, "Bye daddy!" She ran up to the entrance where a handsome man with red hair held the door open for her. The man glanced up in time to meet Harley's gaze and he waved and winked as he mouthed "call me" while he held his hand to his ear. The Joker didn't miss the gesture and he turned to see the red blush blossom on Harley's cheeks as she shifted the gears and began to drive again.

After a pregnant pause he said, "Glad you're finally making friends, Harley. You've always been so lonely out here, haven't you?" His voice was dripping with condescending undertones. She felt his eyes burning a hole in the side of her face as she refused to look at him.

She had been waiting for him to say something about the interaction and she rolled her eyes before biting back. "Listen, Jack, Guy is Lucy's teacher. He's not a friend. I help out in her class all the time and sometimes he asks a favor of me when it comes to a craft project because he isn't good at that stuff. There's nothing going on between he and I." It was true. As tempted as Harley had been over the years to take one of the many offers from men to go on a date, she never would. She believed in their vows to each other that they should remain faithful to one another even if she struggled to believe that Jack had remained true to her.

The Joker raised an eyebrow as she spoke. "Oh I bet he asks for favors.", he mumbled. After another moment he started up again, "Guy, huh? What kinda name is that anyway?", he asked. He leaned closer over the center console, "Ya know, most people aren't on a first name basis with their kid's teacher."

Harley rolled her eyes, "Oh stop it, Jack. Would you rather I call him Mr. Kopski?" She was pushing him at that point. How dare Jack spend so much time away from her and then when he returns he just wants to argue and accuse her of being unfaithful. She couldn't stop herself now though. She spoke is a flirty, high pitched voice, "Oh Mr. Kopski, yes I would just love to help you organize all of your glue sticks and safety scissors. Gosh, I haven't had a date that exciting in years!"

He shifted in his seat and was so close she could feel the droplets of spit land on her face when he spoke. "No, no, listen, Haaaarley. You're a, uh, beautiful woman. You're naive if you think a guy like that isn't fantasizing about you on his five minute break." He grabbed her chin to and made her look at him.

"Jack! Stop it, I'm driving!" She clenched the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes as cars honked and swerved around them.

The Joker leaned in and rested his opposite hand on the window next to her head. She could smell his breath, rotten, yet it still made her stomach do a flip. "Harl," he licked his lips, "if I, uh, even think that your eyes are wandering, I'll pluck 'em out." He tilted his head downward, his eyes searching her face, as he waited for a reply from her. Harley nodded as much as she could through his grip. "I wouldn't do anything like that.", she whispered. He stared at her for a moment longer. "Drive.", he growled and he roughly pointed her face back to the road.

After pulling into the gravel driveway, Harley stared ahead and simply stayed, "I have to get ready for work.", before exiting and heading inside. The Joker remained outside, propped against the hood of the car for a few more minutes to start and finish a much needed cigarette. She was a feisty one and he didn't hate when she got fired up. Being in the country, away from him usually made her boring. Sometimes he liked to find her sore spot and pick, pick, pick until she became aggravated. Seeing her get worked up was a bit of a turn on. 

Minutes later he found her in the bathroom putting on her mascara. She was already changed into her pencil skirt and red silk blouse. She glanced at him in the reflection of the mirror. He undressed from his street clothes and tossed them on the floor. He caught Harley staring as he tucked his pale blue dress shirt into his purple pants. She cleared her throat and recapped her mascara tube and started fussing with her hair. He took a few small containers of face paint from his pocket and started to apply his mask.

"Is that really necessary?", Harley asked as she tightened the bun on the back of her head.

"I've got work to do on my way back.", he mumbled as he smeared the red paints across his lips and up each of the uneven canals on either side of his face.

She sighed knowing the conversation would end there. Her denial of who exactly her old Jack had become swept over her and she felt sad. The Joker shoved the make up back in his pocket and he smacked his red lips together and turned to her. She quietly stared back as she felt her eyes grow damp. She was tired of crying all of the time. He gave an exaggerated surprised expression and asked, "What? Did I miss a spot?"

Harley rolled her eyes and pushed past him into the bedroom to find her black heels. "I'm going to be late.", she said firmly.

The Joker grabbed her arm and pulled her back to his chest where he held her tightly. "Wouldn't want you to be late to be late, would we, Doctor Quinzel?", he asked as he dragged the last syllable. "Gotta punch that time clock before you start fixing up your patients, making them normal again.", he said with a disgusted voice. She didn't realize he was backing her up to the wall as he spoke until she was pressed against it.

"Stop it!", she said quietly. The irony was never lost on her. That she, a psychiatrist, was married to the most infamous criminal Gotham had ever seen. That her passion was to give hope to those who suffered from mental illness and maybe cure them. She tried to diagnose Jack, in her mind, never aloud. Maybe bipolar, maybe antisocial personality disorder, possibly sociopath... definitely a sociopath. However, her denial and fear of what he had become overrode any hope she had of him returning to normality.

He tightened his grip around her upper arm as he hauled her over to the vanity mirror above the dresser and turned her to face it. His body was flush against her back and he held both of her shoulders so tightly that it hurt. "Did ya ever think that just maybe, you're the one that needs help, Harleen?", he whispered into her ear as they both stared into her own reflection. "I mean, what you've got going on here is, uh, pretty messed up, wouldn't you say? If one of your patients came in and explained that they were married to a notorious killer, that they were in love with him, wouldn't you think that's a little crazy? Is that the term you'd use? No, that's not politically correct enough.", he stifled a giggle. 

As she attempted to keep a steady voice, tears threatened to spill and she flinched under his grip. Her eyes moved to meet his in the reflection. "Maybe the patient has realized that she made some mistakes in life and is ready to move on. Maybe she does want help. Maybe she is ready to put her sentimental attachment behind her and find some sense of normal life with her daugh-, her family, if she has one."

Harley heard a growl come from somewhere deep within The Joker as his eyes bore into hers.

He licked his lips noisily. "She sounds crazier than I thought then if she thinks she can leave him. He is very, very possessive of what belongs to him." The Joker's hand crept up to her neck and not to gently, he wrapped his hand around it. He took a deep breath in her hair, smelling the shampoo and the familiar scent of her pheromones. It was intoxicating. Harley swallowed thickly and she adjusted herself in his grip.

"If he cared about his things you'd think he would take better care of them.", she spoke with a touch of venom.

He released her neck and ran his hands down her arms and then up the sides of her torso and down the front of her body before resting them on her hips. She shivered and sank into him slightly under his heavy touch. His voice became deeper, "She doesn't sound very grateful for all the times he kept her and her daughter safe over the years. She doesn't sound grateful for the acceptance he's offered her over her life choices."

She let out a quick laugh and turned around. "My life choices? Mine? What could you possibly say about the choices I've made? I make a life for our daughter. I work to help cure people who are sick, and that's what they are Jack, sick! Not me, they are! You are!" She pointed her finger in his chest as she spoke as he lifted an eyebrow.

"We'll see about that." He leaned down and pressed his painted forehead against hers. "It doesn't matter what I do. You will always be mine. You can't. help. it. I'm all you know! I'm all you will ever know and I'm just waiting for you to realize this on your own. It's no fun to force it." He backed her harshly into the dresser and the edge dug into her back painfully. "You are strong, Harley, but you will break. You wanted safe so I gave you safe, but you need more than a comfortable house, millions in the bank, and a job to make you feel like you're worth anything. You need more." His lips grazed hers while he spoke and she found herself struggling to concentrate on his words. She scolded herself and tried to turn her head away, but his lips were on hers and he was lifting her to sit on the dresser. Before she could stop the madness, she was reciprocating and kissing back furiously. This was the first time she no longer felt any of Jack, she was kissing The Joker and she hated herself for it, but she couldn't find the will to stop. Her hands were fumbling with his belt as he chuckled and hoisted up her pencil skirt. He took her on the dresser more passionately that he had in years and it felt like it lasted an eternity. He finished with a slew of curses and she was left with tears streaming down her face. She didn't know if it was because it felt so good or if she was angry at herself, but she concluded that it was both.

His red lips were smeared into the white on his face, but he didn't bother to fix them before he slipped on his holster and jacket. Harley sat breathing heavily on the dresser as she watched him. He lit another cigarette and spoke, " You're uh, gonna be late, doctor.", and with that he turned and left.


	3. Chapter 3

Harley drove angrily to the office that morning. She felt confused and humiliated about the morning's events. She couldn't believe the things he said to her. Images of his painted face flashed in her mind and she remembered how his hands gripped her hips as she sat on the dresser only an hour before. Before she knew it she was sitting in the parking lot of the psych clinic where she practiced and she didn't even recall the drive to get there.

She didn't have to work, of course, The Joker had several foreign bank accounts set up for she and Lucy. However, Harley never had any intention on touching the stolen money. She preferred to work and bring home her own paycheck. Yet, The Joker regularly deposited money into these accounts which had balances in the millions anyway. She worked part-time at a small practice specializing in family therapy, but she did plenty of individual psychotherapy sessions as well. She supposed she was projecting her her own desire for a perfect, stable family into her work.

As she entered the tiny building she was greeted by Rosie, the receptionist. However, Harley didn't hear the woman as she was lost in her miserable thoughts. She stalked into her office, closing the door a little harder than normal. She threw her purse on the floor and plopped down hard in the swivel chair resting her forehead against her palm. After several moments her hands were moving without her telling them to as they jerked the hem of her skirt up and she grabbed a nearby letter opener. As she pressed the sharp blade against the sensitive skin on the inside of her thigh, she hesitated. Her eyes examined all the old scars from years ago. She hadn't felt the need to cut herself in so long, why did she feel the desire to do it now? Her breath picked up as the need overtook her and she pressed the blade harder until it broke the skin and she sighed in relief. Blood trickled down onto the leather seat and the trembling in her hands stilled. She grabbed a handful of tissues and applied them to the wound to stop the bleeding. As blood bloomed on the tissues beneath her finger tips she couldn't help the old memories from rushing to the surface.

Jack and Harley met at sixteen at a foster home ran by a woman named Pat Pierson or Ms Pat as the children called her. She was a widow who never was able to have children of her own. She was nothing but good hearted though she was stern when she needed to be. She housed up to four kids at a time, generally troubled teens. Jack had been living at Ms Pat's for about two years by the time Harley came to stay.

One warm spring day, Jack was on his back under "Old Blue", the ancient van they used when everyone had to go somewhere at the same time. He enjoyed fixing cars and had a knack for it so he helped Ms Pat whenever he could.

He heard the sound of shoes scuffing toward him and suddenly the van bounced over him under the weight of the person.

"Hey ya jerk! I just got oil on my shirt!", Jack yelled up to the person. 

Andy called down, "Oh my bad!", but he was snickering. "How embarrassing for you on the day the new girl is showing up."

Jack scooted out from under the van, wiping the oil off his hands against his now soiled shirt. He knitted his eyebrows, "What new girl?"

"Ms Pat got the call this morning. That's where she went.", he jerked his head toward the street. "Some new chick is comin' to stay and I bet she's hot!", Andy said with a grin.

"I bet she's a slut.", Lacy said as she walked up to the boys.

"Where'd you come from? I usually smell ya before I see ya!", Andy joked as he pinched his nose. Lacy made a face at him and crossed her arms.

The trio continued teasing each other and shoving each other around as Ms Pat's Bonneville rolled up the driveway. In the passenger seat was Harley. Jack's grin faded and he could feel his heart beating in his ears as he took in the sight of the beautiful girl. Harley glanced at the teens nervously and opened the door to stand awkwardly as she waited for Ms Pat's instructions.

"JACK!", Ms Pat's voice boomed. "Where are you at boy? Give us a hand, would you? My gosh you're filthy. You better take a bath tonight, honey. Don't sit on the couch.-", she rambled.

Jack pried his eyes from Harley finally and jogged over to take Harley's duffle bag from the backseat. Andy was grinning and eyeing at the new blonde unabashedly. Lacy smacked him in the chest as she introduced herself to Harley and led her up to the room they would be sharing.

Andy nodded at Jack, "See? I told you she'd be hot."

"Boys, back off. This is a fragile one so be nice.", Ms Pat hissed as she walked past them into the house. Jack and Andy each grabbed one of Harley's bags and followed her inside.

Harley had stayed upstairs in her room all day, staring out the window. She declined dinner stating she wasn't hungry which was hard to believe considering how skinny she was, as though she hadn't eaten in weeks. Jack found himself thinking of her and wondering what her story was. He walked past her bedroom a few times and considered introducing himself formally, but chickened out each time.

That night after everyone had been in bed a few hours, Jack woke up feeling restless. He decided to take a walk, but headed to the bathroom first. The door was closed, but no light could be seen under the door so he opened it and flipped the switch. He was quickly taken a back to see Harley sitting on the floor with her back against the tub. She startled and gasped and quickly pulled a towel over her lap.

"Uh, sorry.", Jack said awkwardly before he noticed blood on her hands. "Wait, are you hurt?", he asked with concern.

"No! It's nothing, really. Please go!", she begged.

He ignored her plea and sat next to her and snatched the towel to find her sleep pants hiked up and the inside of her thigh dripping with streaks of blood. He slowly turned to meet her eyes. "Please don't tell anyone.", she begged with damp eyes.

He cleared his throat as he reached over and took the straightened paper clip she had been using out of her hand. He shook his head gently as he said, "It's not my secret to tell."

The two teens sat in awkward silence as Harley stared at the floor and Jack fiddled with the paper clip. He tucked it away in his pocket as he turned to her. "Wanna hear a joke?"

She looked up with a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Sure."

He brightened up a bit and relaxed his shoulders. He grinned ear to ear as he began, "So, uh, a man asks a librarian for a book on how to commit suicide. She says 'No way! You won't bring it back!'" He slapped his palms agains his knees as he delivered the punchline and he waited for her reaction. Harley stared at him blankly for a second before she let a snicker escape. Jack nearly sighed in relief. "That was really bad.", she said while still smiling.

He shrugged, "Yeah I know." He looked away from her and sniffed and pushed some rogue curls away from his forehead. "Hey so, I was going to go for a walk. Do you wanna come?", he asked as he stood and wet a rag for her to clean her leg.

She took the rag and gently patted her thigh as she said, "I should get back to bed. Look, thanks for not telling anyone about this. It's just something that helps me when I'm feeling, I don't know, out of control or something.", she shrugged and smoothed out the rag against her sore thigh.

He put up his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm not your father, you don't have to explain it to me." He realized he should have worded that differently due to the current circumstances, but she just smiled at him and said, "Well, thanks again. Maybe you can tell me some more jokes sometime. Good night." She tossed the damp rag at this chest and he caught it against his chest as she walked past him as she headed back to bed. As he turned to watch her go he reached into his pocket to fiddle with the bloody paper clip.


	4. Chapter 4

Harley had just finished her second and final therapy session for the day when she heard a gentle knock at the door. She hadn't realized that she had been reading the same sentence in her session note over and over. Her senses awoke and she blinked rapidly from the noise.

"Dr Napier-Quinzel?", Rosie's voice called through the translucent glass office door. "Is it okay if we close up a little early? That was your last session."

"Sure. Thanks Rosie. See you Thursday.", Harley replied.

Her leg stung from the cuts that morning, but she didn't mind it. The pain was a familiar and welcome sensation. It calmed her. As she slipped her jacket on and rifled through her purse for her keys, her cell phone rang. It was Lucy's preschool teacher.

"Hello?", she answered with some concern. She didn't get calls from Lucy's school often.

"Hi, Harley it's Guy!"

"Is everything okay with Lucy? I was just about to head over to pick her up." She looked at her watch to verify that she still had twenty minutes before the regular pick up time.

"Oh yes, sorry. Lucy's fine. The kids are at an assembly watching this looney puppeteer. I couldn't take it anymore.", he chuckled lightly.

Harley scrunched her forehead in confusion. "Oh, so everything's fine then?"

"Yeah, yes.", he seemed to stumble over his words. "Hey I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me out for a few minutes on a project I'm preparing for next week. You know how I am with that craft crap and you're so good at it."

Harley thought about what Jack told her that morning, but immediately dismissed the thoughts as she agreed to help out, just for a few minutes.

What was the agreed upon "few minutes" turned into a few hours. A tired Lucy fell asleep on a beanbag in the reading corner of the classroom. Harley and Guy were taking a break from cutting out Jack-o-lantern paper pieces and were drinking Ramen noodles out of styrofoam cups.

"Sorry I don't have anything a little more elegant.", Guy chuckled. "This is my emergency lunch in case I forget my usual ham sandwich at home."

"It's fine, really.", Harley assured with a dismissive hand. "I'll have to bring you a replacement sometime. Wouldn't want you to starve.", she smiled.

A silence fell over the two of them as they quietly avoided eye contact. Harley glanced over at Lucy. "She's probably not going to sleep tonight. You might have a grumpy four-year-old on your hands tomorrow.", Harley said apologetically.

"Lucy is an awesome kid. I'm not worried about it. Honestly, she's one of my favorites. You've done a great job with her."

"Oh, well thanks.", Harley said with a blush.

"You know, she's a lot like you." Harley looked up with a quizzical look as he continued. "She's so smart and kind. She's got a great heart."

Harley gave a half smile and looked down at her cup of stringy noodles and nervously made imprints in the styrofoam with her nails. She began to regret coming and staying. She really didn't want to lead Guy on, but she found it really difficult to walk away. No one had paid her this kind of attention in so long and it stirred an excitement in her. However, just as she resolved to end the evening and say that maybe they shouldn't meet like this anymore, Guy interrupted her before he could get out the words.

"So, uh, I hate to invade your privacy, but it looked like you had someone in your car during drop-off this morning." Guy raised an eyebrow as he asked.

Harley cleared her throat and sat up higher. "Well, yes, that was my husband. He was in town for the night." Harley had mentioned before that her husband was a truck driver who was gone for months at a time.

"Well I'd like to meet him one of these days. He's a lucky guy to have such a beautiful family. I bet he really appreciates everything you do while he's gone."

Harley took an drawn out breath, "Oh, totally.", she nodded.

"Well, if you ever need any help with anything while he's away, you know you can call me. I'd love to repay all the favors you've done for me." He reached his hand out to take the near empty cup from her hands and he brushed his finger tips softly across her knuckles.

"Um, we should get going. It's so late and I have to get Lucy to bed." Harley grabbed her jacket and began to anxiously put it on inside out. Guy walked over and attempted to help her put it on correctly when she grabbed it back from him and let out a nervous laugh as she shoved it into a wadded up ball under her arm. After grabbing Lucy, Harley couldn't get to the car fast enough.

She went to bed with a heavy weight of guilt on her shoulders. She supposed Jack was right and that maybe she was leading Guy on. She sighed and buried her head under her blankets and forced herself to sleep. At four AM, Harley woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing near her head. As she fumbled with answering an automated message began to play. "Dear parent or guardian of a Lakeshore Preschool student: class has been cancelled today due to unforeseen circumstances. Please call the office with any questions during business hours."

Harley was slightly relieved to not have to see Guy after their uncomfortable evening, but now she had to reschedule her day. She laid against the headboard and turned on the TV since she was wide awake. The news was playing and the story immediately set off a panic in her.

"-police are calling it a copycat crime at this point as it would be highly unusual for The Joker to commit a crime this far north and there seems to be no motive for it. If you're just tuning in, a Lakeshore Elementary teacher has been brutally murdered on school grounds. The body was found just an hour ago by custodial staff. This next part of the story is quite graphic and not suitable for children." The screen switched to a female news reporter standing outside the front of the school. Police cars could be seen parked along the curb and there were forensic specialists walking back and forth in the background. Yellow crime scene tape was stretched across the walkway leading up to the main doors. "The body of Guy Kopski, former preschool teacher here at Lakeshore was just taken down from the top of the flagpole you see just behind me. It appears as though the flag was taken down and replaced with Kopski's body and his intestines were used to hoist him to the top." The reporter looked as though she was going to be sick. She swallowed her bile as she continued, "A joker card was found inside Kopski's mouth which is commonly found with crimes related to Gotham's infamous criminal, The Joker, however police are skeptical that this was actually committed by the same man."

Harley found herself hyperventilating as she gripped her bedsheets. Her cell phone startled her further when it notified her of a text message. She did not recognize the number which made it likely that it was him. "Happy early anniversary, baby" was all it said.


	5. Chapter 5

She didn't reply to the text. Instead she turned off the TV and walked with trembling legs to the shower. The scalding hot water rained on her making her skin red and hot. She raked her hands through her blonde locks, tugging the roots and scraping her scalp, trying to shake her thoughts from the news report. She knew he killed people for fun or sport or for a message. There were more people dead from his hands than she could even imagine. But she tried not to think about it. When she let herself think about what he did, the guilt weighed on her because it was all her fault. It all started with her.

That first summer Harley and Jack spent together while living with Ms Pat was the best of their lives. It was one of those romantic teenage summers where everything was carefree and the sun never seemed to set. Jack had gotten a job working at an auto mechanic and was saving up to buy his first car. Harley would wait the house around until he got off his shift and the two would walk hand in hand to a park down the street. Sometimes Jack would have a pack of cigarettes and they wouldn't go back home until they finished the whole thing together. Other times Harley would watch quietly as he used a switchblade to carve her name into fallen branches. Jack would listen to Harley when she had to work out her feelings of abandonment, the death of her mother and the years of molestation by her father. There were tears and laughter and silence. However, most of the time the two would sit under a tree and kiss for hours until their curfew.

It was late summer, just before their senior year started when Harley was sitting on a bench at the park waiting for Jack to meet her after he was done working. She rested her chin on her bent knees and closed her eyes as she thought about his beautiful face, his curly dirty blond hair that he usually had in a tiny ponytail, his scuffed black and white Converse.

"Boo!", his voice startled her from behind. He grabbed her shoulders and kissed her cheek. He smelled like the shop - motor oil and gasoline, but she didn't mind. 

"Hey!" She gently slapped his chest and giggled. She moved over to make room for him next to her. 

"Were ya thinkin' of me Harley girl?", he asked smugly, draping an arm along the back of the bench. 

Harley blushed and nodded before giggling. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and he scooted closer to her.

"What are you doing Friday night?", he asked.

Harley scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm going to the ball with my Prince Charming.", she laughed. "What do you think I'm doing?"

He grinned at her and pulled two slips of white paper from his back pocket and held them up to her.

"What are those?", she asked as she took a closer look.

"I'm taking you on a date. Our first date, actually. Ever heard of The Clean Virgins?", he asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Harley let out a barking laugh. "The what?"

"You've never heard of them? Oh come on.", he slapped his knee, but smirked at her. "Well, they're just one of my, uh, favorite bands and they happen to be playing at The Warehouse this Friday."

"But Jack, you need to be saving for your car. You don't need to spend money on me."

"Oh what? Like that car over there?" He pointed his thumb over his shoulder toward a slightly rusted black Chevy Corvette.

Harley jumped up from the bench. "What? No!" She turned back to him and he held up the keys and jingled them in front of her. "Wanna go for a ride."

Moments later the two were racing through the streets. "You better slow down, Jack! You're going to get us pulled over.", she giggled.

"Ah live a little, Harls! Nothin' wrong with having some fun."

She bit her bottom lip and tried to relax. They came to a stop at a red light and Jack drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He was reaching for the radio when something caught his eye outside the passenger window. A rumbling pickup truck was idling next to them and the driver was trying to get Harley's attention. Harley stared back at the driver, a young man, about twenty. He had blazing red hair in a crew cut. He was making a "v" with two fingers and wiggling his tongue between them.

"Jack... what is that guy doing? Do you know him?", Harley asked.

Jack leaned over and scowled at the man and reached over to flip him off. The guy returned the gesture before winking at Harley and speeding off leaving a cloud of heavy exhaust.

"Just forget about it.", Jack said as he started driving again and he patted her knee.

Harley looked to Jack and noticed his eyes seemed to darken and his hands gripped the wheel tighter. After a moment, he pulled the car over. They hadn't spoken a word since the man made the obscene gesture. He leaned over and got real close to Harley. "Listen Harley. There are bad people in this world. You know that better than anyone." She bit her bottom lip in response and nodded in response. "Don't ever let anyone treat you like shit. You're better then them. If anyone ever makes you feel less than the perfect person you are, you tell me. I take care of you now." He reached his hand to cup the side of her face and slid his fingers into her hair as he pulled her towards himself. His kiss was powerful and hard. It made Harley's eyes flutter closed as she moved her lips with his. After a moment he pulled away and licked his lips. "You always taste so sweet, Harley girl." 

Three days later was the night of the concert and just as the two were leaving the house, Ms Pat stopped them to play twenty questions. Jack took the lead and answered. "We're just going to a coffee shop, I swear. There's a jazz band Harley wanted to see and I just want to celebrate the new car with her.", he said so sincerely Harley almost thought he was telling the truth.

Ms Pat unfolded her arms and pinched Jack's cheek making him grimace. "Alright Jackie, but make sure you take care of sweet Harley here and get her home at a decent hour."

"Always, Ms Pat.", he assured.

Jack and Harley started off outside toward the car when he lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder making her wiggle and laugh. He sat her down on the hood of his car and leaned in close making her insides go to jelly as she stared into his brown eyes.

"Stay right by me tonight, Harls. I don't think there will be any trouble, but I don't wanna take any chances in a place like this."

"There's no where I'd rather be anyways.", she said sweetly.

He gave her a soft kiss, but before he could pull back she grabbed his face and pulled him in for another. She caressed his soft cheeks with her thumbs and a rosy blush crossed her features. He slid her off the hood and walked her over to the passenger side and opened the door for her.

The ride wasn't long and they didn't talk much. Jack played a mixed tape of his favorite Clean Virgins songs for her. It wasn't her style, but she was happy to share the experience with him. The Warehouse was an old building that was renovated into a concert venue and bar. They mostly hosted indie style bands who were trying to make a name for themselves and it was a fairly popular place for local young adults to hangout if Friday nights.

As Harley and Jack were walking toward the entrance he handed her a plastic card with a photo of a blonde girl on it. "What's this?", Harley asked.

"This is a twenty-one and older club and this is your new ID."

"Jack!", Harley said sounding exasperated. "This is illegal", she whispered.

"Like I always say, Harl, nothin' wrong with having a little fun. Now wipe that look off your face and act like you own this night."

Harley scrunched her eyebrows and wondered what that meant exactly. Before she knew it she was handing the card to the security guard at the entrance. He eyed her as she smiled awkwardly. She almost blurted an apology and ran away when he stepped aside to let them through. Jack nudged her side with his elbow and smirked and she rolled her eyes.

The venue was packed with people who were already drinking and getting loud. Couples were making out against the walls and others were smoking weed. Harley felt extremely uncomfortable and gripped Jack's arm tightly. "You okay, kid?", he asked and she nodded back.

Before long the room became even darker before stage lights illuminated the room in reds, blues and yellows. The music was loud, making it impossible to hear your own voice. The Clean Virgins was a rock band with a bit of an emo edge. The singer practically wore an entire tube of mascara. Jack was into the music as he bobbed his head and moved his body. Harley had never been to a concert before and felt self-conscious about doing any dancing. Jack moved to stand behind her and put his hands on her hips and began to sway her side to side, picking up the movement until they reached the beat.

"Just let go. Let it all go, Harley.", he said in a low voice in her ear.

She nodded and turned to face him. She rested her hands on his shoulders and began to move with him. She finally began to smile and laughed at how silly she felt and he laughed too. The concert was coming to an end when Jack suggested they dodge out early to miss the rush and to get home at a somewhat decent time. Harley agreed, but asked to use the restroom first. Jack escorted her to the dingy bathroom door and she promised to make it quick. Jack leaned against the wall and waited as his fingers itched to hold a cigarette. What they hadn't noticed was that someone was watching them. Harley came out of the bathroom with a shiver implying how unsavory the bathroom had been and wiped her damp hands on her jeans.

Jack hooked his hand around her waist to rest on her hip as they headed out the back door as it was easier than making their way through the drunk crowd to go out the front. It was dark and there were only a few cars belonging to the employees and a large dumpster that could be seen. The door was heavy and Jack expected it to slam shut behind them, but when it didn't, he turned his head to glance over his shoulder. The red headed man from earlier in the week was standing in the doorframe grinning. Jack turned and grabbed Harley as she shrieked in surprise and he stood in front of her.

"Well, well, well, what a co-inky-dink!", the ginger said as he walked towards the couple letting the door slam behind him.

Jack stood up straighter and took a step forward, squeezing his hands into fists. Harley gripped Jack's shoulders and whined that they should just leave.

"Now calm down, little doggie. I just wanna share a little piece of that cherry pie you got there.", he said slyly as he winked at Harley.

Jack's blood began to boil as a primal need to protect what was his surfaced inside him. "Yeah, yeah, but if you were smart you'd turn around and leave us alone."

The ginger laughed, "If I was smart? Oh that's a good one! Really hurt my feelings, kid.", he pouted. "Move out of the way little boy." He grabbed his crotch and blew a kiss, "Let me show the girl what a man is made of."

Harley felt paralyzed by fear from the man's threat. She wanted to run away, but couldn't get her feet to move. In a moment Jack and the man were at each other's throats like two dogs fighting over a steak. Thunder rolled in the distance and lightning lit up the sky for only seconds.

Both men were spitting blood and knuckles cracked against bone. Finally, the ginger groaned and fell to the ground as he clutched his neck. Jack stood over him until he stopped making gasping and gurgling sounds and when the lighting flashed again, Harley could see the switchblade in Jack's hand. He turned to see Harley's horror and he looked down at his hand. She finally let out the scream that had been trying to escape since the first punch. Jack closed the blade as he ran over to her as he shoved it back in his pocket. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and shushed her.

"We need to go. Now.", he said with a seriousness she'd never heard from him before.

"But-", she protested through fear.

"Now, Harleen." He grabbed her hand and they re-entered through the back door. He kept his head down as he dragged her through the dwindling crowd and out the front door, back to the Corvette.

Harley sobbed quietly in the passenger seat as the rain began to downpour upon the roof of the car. Jack was breathing heavily as he stared ahead.

"J-Jack? Did you just?", she stammered.

"Harl, this is our secret. Listen-", he turned her face to look at his bruised and blood streaked face, "you can't tell anyone." He shook his head exaggeratedly.

After a moment she sniffed and nodded back. "It isn't my secret to tell."

The water began to run cold when Harley realized she hadn't even shampooed her hair. Her hand, however, was holding her razor. She shook her head and placed it back on the shower caddy.

Secrets became the foundation of their relationship. Secrets are what weighed Harley down day in and day out. Secrets are what would keep Harley from ever escaping her nightmare.


	6. Chapter 6

Two months passed since Jack's last visit and the horrific demise of Guy Kopski and all had been radio silent. This was somewhat unusual as Jack _would_ call to check in occasionally. Conversations were generally brief and consisted of Harley giving updates about Lucy and he replying with a grunt or two. Harley would ask when he would be coming back and he always returned a vague answer. If he was particularly bored, he would ask what color her panties were and they would go from there. However, this was the longest she had gone without hearing from him aside from when he was locked up in Arkham twice in the past. His last visit shook her up quite a bit and caused so many unhappy memories to surface. It was especially hard because here were so many good memories tied to the bad ones. However, she was finally beginning to sleep better at night and she and Lucy got back into their normal routine.

Snow had started to fall and the temperature dropped. Harley and Lucy had fun celebrating the holidays together. They had no other family of course, so they enjoyed Christmas in their own way with a holiday movie marathon and Chinese food. Lucy was spoiled for sure and a large part of the reason was because Harley felt so sad for her, that she would never truly know her father. Jack would have been a great dad and that's the father Lucy deserved, not The Joker. Harley's father had been useless and only caused her pain and unfortunately it seemed Lucy would share a similar experience.

It was New Year's Eve and Lucy had begged to watch the ball drop. So Harley let her curl up on the couch under a heap of blankets while they watched Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer for the third time that week. Lucy made it until 9:15 before she passed out. Harley sat under her own blanket on the opposite side of the couch as she scrolled through the news feed on her phone. The story popped up and her heart skipped a beat. A mugshot of The Joker as his painted face grinned sinisterly back at Harley accompanied by a headline: "Batman brings Joker to Arkham for a Third Time". Harley clicked on the link and read the article. In summary, it appeared that Batman got his hands on The Joker the prior night during a raid on The Joker's hideout. An anonymous snitch gave the location away to the police. Harley felt bad for whoever that foolish person was. She scrolled back to the top of the page and lingered at the mugshot once again. She chewed her thumbnail as his eyes seemed to burn into hers. Then her phone rang startling her as she dropped it onto her lap. She picked it up to see that it was her one remaining friend calling.

"Hi Pammy.", Harley answered solemnly.

"Darn, you saw it didn't you? I wanted to break it to you nicely. Let me try it anyway because I practiced for so long.", Pam cleared her throat before speaking, "Ah hem, Harley dear, I have some good news and some bad news. Bad news first? Sure thing. You're about to get all sad and mopey because your moron husband went and got himself locked up once again. The good news is your moron husband got himself locked up again where he belongs and maybe he will finally rot in there. Whew, that came out sounding way better than I thought it would."

"Ah Pam, you just know how to give me all the warm fuzzies don't you? So compassionate.", Harley retorted.

"Hey, I have to live in Gotham with that maniac flying off the handle, planning Goddess knows what. I am relieved that I don't have to worry about it for a little while at least. And you know how he feels about me."

Harley met Pamela Isley in college and the two became inseparable. Even before Jack became who he is now, he and Pam didn't get along. Pam found Jack to be controlling and Jack found Pam to be a pain with her new age feminism and how she tried to pull Harley into he same way of thinking.

Harley sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I just wasn't expecting to see that, ya know? I haven't heard from him in weeks and right when I finally start feeling back to normal, bam, there he is. It sucks, Pam. You have no idea. I miss Jack and he's right there, so close I can almost touch him, but then again, he's not."

"Come visit for a while, would ya? Bring Lucy, I'll take a few days off. We'll have a girls weekend. Get your mind off things. There's a new exhibit at the Gotham Natural History Museum on carnivorous plants! Lucy would love it!"

Harley smirked and nodded. "That sounds really good actually. Yeah okay."

"There see? Pammy to the rescue!", Pam said proudly. "Hang in there Harls. Don't let him control your happiness."

Harley sighed, "Happy new year, Pam."

"Happy new year, Harley." Harley and Lucy packed their bags and took the train to Gotham where Pam would pick them up. It was a four hour ride and Lucy was set up with a bag of popcorn and a tablet to watch cartoons. Harley sat across from her as she admired the little girl. She looked a lot like herself with the blonde hair and oversized blue eyes, but she had his smile. Not The Joker's smile, but Jack's.

Lucy felt Harley's eyes on her and she looked up with a toothy grin. "What, mommy?", she giggled.

"Nothing baby. You're just so beautiful."

"Just like you!", Lucy exclaimed. "Mama? Wanna hear a joke?"

"Sure, sweetie." Lucy was such a happy child and she loved to make people laugh. Her nonsensical knock-knock jokes always left Harley with a chuckle. 

"What's black and white and red all over?"

"Hmm, what?"

"A nun after I stab her with a knife." Lucy doubled over with giggles.

Everything seemed to slow down. Harley's heart started to beat loudly in her ears as she felt the blood drain from her face. She stared at Lucy with a look of shock. She could only get out a whisper from her tight throat. "What? What did you say?"

"Mommy?", Lucy asked as her smile faded. "Mommy? Are you okay?"

"What did you say, Lucy?", she asked again, a little louder.

"I said a newspaper is black and white and red all over. Get it? You don't look good mommy."

"A newspaper?", Harley asked. She suddenly felt very warm once the blood came back to her face and her heartbeat slowed down. "I, I just thought you said something else is all. That's, uh, that's a good one, honey." Lucy shrugged and looked back to her tablet. Harley fanned her face with her hand as she blew out a puff of air. She supposed she always feared that Lucy might end up like her father one day. She must have just been overly tired and obviously projecting a subconscious fear into Lucy. That's all, her inner psychiatrist assured her. The train ride ended once they reached Gotham City Central. Harley collected Lucy and their suitcase as they met their friend outside the platform. The women hugged and exchanged compliments. The ride back to Pam's apartment was filled with chatter and giggles. The mood lasted into the evening after they shared a pizza together and discussed plans for the next day.

"So if the plants eat meat, does that mean they'll wanna eat me?" Lucy questioned regarding the exhibit they would be attending the next day.

Pam chuckled, "Only if you're covered in bar-b-que sauce."

"Phew!", Lucy exclaimed as she climbed into the guest bed with Harley. They said good night to Pam who closed the door as she left the girls alone for the night. Lucy fell asleep immediately, but Harley had a harder time. She was stuck in the world between reality and dreamland. "Harley, Harleeeey." The Joker's face appeared through her mind's fog. "Harley girl. What's black, white and red all over? Hmm?" She shook her head side to side as she tried to escape the nightmare. But before she could make herself wake up she saw an image of herself, but could only see the back of her body. She was wearing some sort of black and red spandex bodysuit with a matching jester hat. The Joker leaned to the side to look over the dream Harley's shoulder and he grinned spinning her around so that she was able to see her pale white face, grotesquely maimed with a dripping Glasgow Smile. Harley woke screaming.


	7. Chapter 7

After getting a very startled Lucy back to sleep, the two friends took a seat on the couch in the living room. Pam wrapped her arms around Harley as she leaned her back against Pam.

"It's confusing, ya know?", Harley tried to explain. "Like, I have all these memories of our good times. He was so loving and protective. I felt safe with him for the first time in my life. He made me laugh. We had so much fun together. But over the years it's all warped into something so different. It's hard to explain, but I see Jack sometimes when I look at him."

"Harls, I'm not going to try to understand this whole messed up thing. I've been friends with you since before all this and it breaks my heart to see what he's put you through. But you have to see, Jack is never coming back. I think you need to consider an escape plan. You and Lucy deserve to have a happy life. No one would fault you for walking away from this marriage, if we can even call it that at this point."

Harley's eyes teared up and she buried her face in Pam's shoulder. "It's hard to be here again, in Gotham."

"Is it?", Pam asked sympathetically. "Why don't you tell me about the good times, Harley."

Harley thought for a moment before a small smile appeared. "You know, we got married on my eighteenth birthday? He had already aged out of the system and had been staying at the mechanic shop in the upstairs apartment of where he worked. So on my birthday, he came out to the foster home and got me, we said our good byes and we took the Corvette to Gotham. We didn't have a place to stay or nothin', but I trusted him to take care of me. We got married at the court house and crashed at his friend's house for a week before he got us into this tiny, I mean teeny tiny, studio apartment. He got job at a new car repair place, a friend of his old boss hooked him up. I was so in love, Red, it all felt like a fairytale."

"Why did you guys choose Gotham, anyway?", Pam asked as she twirled a strand of her own deep red hair with Harley's blonde hair around her fingers.

"Gotham University. I had gotten several scholarships and that's where I applied. He was so proud of me. He bragged to anyone that would listen that I was gonna be the best doctor in the whole world.", Harley let out a little giggle at the memory of his enthusiastic smile when he got to talk about her.

"Well I guess I can appreciate that. If you didn't go to GU, I wouldn't have met you." Pam gave her a tighter hug.

"But this is where it all happened, right? The scars and his change?", Pam asked cautiously.

Harley nodded. She had never told Pam everything. He wouldn't have liked that and she wasn't proud of that part of their history.

The next afternoon, Pam took Harley and Lucy to the carnivorous plant exhibit at the museum. Lucy was so excited she wouldn't stop pointing and talking about everything she saw. Pam took the little girl's hand and led her from plant to plant, telling her about each one in exhaustive detail, but Lucy didn't seem to mind. Pam was a botanist and seemed to know everything there was about any type of flora. In college, Harley often fell asleep during their study sessions when Pam insisted on reading her textbooks aloud. 

Harley followed behind, chuckling at the sight. She found herself lingering in front of an exotic Venus flytrap. With interest she watched a housefly swarm within the acrylic enclosure dangerously close to the awaiting mouth of the plant. Harley found herself rooting for both opponents. It was in the plant's nature to eat things like flys. It couldn't help it's intrinsic need. Yet, the fly didn't ask to be caged with its predator either. It didn't have a chance. It wasn't long before the fly needed to rest it's tired wings and landed on the spot that was most appealing. She frowned as the plant quickly closed on the poor thing. Mesmerized by the whole scene before her, she shuddered. Something about the plant's smile made her uneasy. Just as she was about to move on she ran into a man's chest.

"Oh! Excuse me!", Harley exclaimed as she backed up a few steps. Her eyes slowly moved from the man's chest up to his kind brown eyes. His features were sharp, but handsome. His chocolate brown hair was slicked back and it appeared to be an expensive cut. He was dressed well, but casual in a black button up and dark jeans. "Um, excuse me.", she said again awkwardly as she blushed.

The man smiled, "All my fault. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that.", he held up his hands in defense.

Harley's mind suddenly went blank and her voice appeared to have deserted her. Panic crossed her features as the awkwardness of running into the attractive stranger took hold of her. The man held out his hand, "Bruce Wayne."

The name sounded familiar to her. Before she could shake his hand and introduce herself, Pam walked up with Lucy. "Ah Mister Wayne. Trying to expand your collection?", she asked while gesturing to Harley.

Bruce gave a smirk before replying, "Pamela. I thought I might run into you here. This exhibit must feel like home to you."

Missing the comparison to man eating plants, Pam replied, "Well I did do work as a reference for the exhibition committee.", with a slight gloat in her voice.

"I didn't know that, Pam.", Harley said finally finding some words.

"And I funded it, so I guess we can both take credit for its success.", said Bruce.

"Bruce, this is my dear friend Harley.", Pam said as she changed the subject. "She's in town visiting with her daughter, Lucy." She gestured toward Lucy who was eagerly attempting to pull Pam back toward the next exhibit.

"Glad to meet you, Harley.", Bruce said warmly. Harley felt her legs feel weak as the handsome man took her hand firmly yet gently.

"Harley is a doctor.", Pam said proudly, winking at Harley.

Harley's blush returned as Bruce appeared impressed. "Wow, what kind of work do you do, doctor?"

"I'm just a psychiatrist.", Harley shrugged off.

"What do you mean, 'just'? That's important work. I mean, maybe you don't know, but Gotham is the home for the criminally insane. We need all the help we can get.", he chuckled.

"Yeah, so I've heard.", Harley said nervously.

"I'm a member of the board of directors at Arkham Asylum."

Harley pushed the butterflies aside as her interest suddenly piqued. "Arkham? Isn't that where the, uh, the Joker is?"

Pam frowned at Harley as she wondered where this conversation was headed.

Bruce sighed and all pleasantness drained from his face. "Yes, we have him for now, at least. We've upgraded the security especially for him in the hopes that he stays for good this time. He's already gone through five doctors in the few weeks he's been there."

"What do you mean he's 'gone through' them?", Harley asked.

"Meaning, he's maimed or killed each one. He's refusing to be treated." Eager to lighten the mood, he continued, "So, they do have an opening.", he chuckled. "But I'm afraid I didn't make it sound too appealing."

Harley smiled politely yet her body grew stiff. Pam glanced over to her friend and sensed the uncomfortable shift. "Well, Bruce, I'm sure you have a lot of matters to attend to and we better get a move on before this little one rips my arm out of the socket.", she said as she motioned to Lucy who was begging to continue their tour.

"I suppose your right.", Bruce gave a quick nod and met Harley's eyes once more. "It was a pleasure meeting you, doctor." He stepped to the side and continued in the opposite direction giving one more quick glance over his shoulder at Harley.

"Alright, Lucy!", Pam yelled with a chuckle. "Now where were we?" She led the small girl to the next exhibit from where they left off.

Harley stood staring after Bruce as he walked away. Her heart raced as she tried to talk herself out of what she was about to do. Shifting her weight back and forth she sprinted quickly up to Bruce and touched his arm. He spun around quickly and looked pleasantly surprised to see her again.

"Mr Wayne-", she began.

"Please, Bruce.", he nodded.

She took a deep inhale. "Bruce, do you have a contact for someone at the asylum? I may be interested in a change of scenery.", she said as she struggled with maintaining a professional demeanor.

He looked at her skeptically and gave a smirk. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive." She couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, but she reassured herself that it didn't mean anything would come from it.

Bruce reached into his back pocket and pulled out a card holder. After running through the stack he handed her a card that listed Joan Leland as the contact person. He held up a finger and grabbed a pen from the inside of his blazer pocket. He jotted a number on the back of the card as well.

"That's my personal number. I would be honored, if you would let me take you out to dinner one night. That is, if you're available."

Harley gently took the card from his hand. "I'll think about it, Bruce."

He nodded to her with a look of slight discouragement. "Hope to see you soon Harley."

She immediately looked down to the business card and ran her thumb over the embossed words of "Arkham Asylum".


	8. Chapter 8

After visiting Gotham for a few days, Harley and Lucy headed back home. Pam had found the Arkham business card when Harley's purse spilled all of its contents on the floor. This prompted a droning lecture asking her why she felt the need to get involved. Harley had no answers, she just felt like she had to seize the opportunity.

* * *

"When you're given an opportunity to do something life changing, _you take it_ , Harley girl!", Jack had said as they walked down the street from their small Gotham apartment to their usual restaurant, a cheap pizza place where you could pay by the slice. It had become a Friday night tradition for the young lovers. By that point, Harley had finished her first semester at Gotham University. It was a hard time, but Jack had been nothing but supportive. Since Harley was unable to work due to her school schedule and the fact that Jack had insisted she needed to focus on her studies, he was working at the mechanic shop 50-60 hours a week for minimum wage.

"I don't know, Jack, it just, it just doesn't _feel_ right.", Harley hemmed and hawed.

"Listen, Harls.", he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist. He rested his forehead against her temple as they walked down the busy sidewalk. "This is a good opportunity. I've put in a lotta time at the shop and I'm at a standstill. The place is family owned and unless one of them dies, I can't move up. I asked for a raise and they denied it. Baby, _trust_ me, I'll make sure you're taken care of."

"It's not about money.", she reassured. "I care about you. You say it's not dangerous, but if it's got anything to do with the mob I don't see how you can not be worried."

They made it to the restaurant and Jack guided Harley to their usual table near the front window. He pulled out her seat and asked the same question that he always asked, "Pepperoni or cheese?". She replied with the same answer she always gave, "Surprise me."

While he was collecting their dishes from counter, Harley nervously bit her lip and her knee bobbed up and down quickly. She did trust him and he had definitely proved that he could take care of himself. Making this change could mean more time at home with her. It could mean more money for a nicer place, but that didn't even matter to her. She let out a deep breath she didn't even realize she was holding once the plates were set in the table. She looked up into his warm brown eyes and nodded. "Yeah, okay. I'm cool."

"Really?", he asked with a bit of surprise. He sat down and reached across the table to take her hand. "You won't regret this. If there's any trouble, I'll just leave and get a job at Micky D's or whatever.", he shrugged with a grin. Harley smiled at his enthusiasm and looked down at her slice of pepperoni. "Aw, this is great.", he started again with a mouthful. "I'll put in my notice tomorrow."

He had described the job as, "Yes, technically for the mob, but so far on the fringe that it didn't even count". He said he would be a "lackey" doing small stuff like valet for meetings, deliveries, security. No one messed with Carmine Falcone, so there wouldn't be anything to worry about, he had assured her. He probably wouldn't even ever see Falcone anyway. "I'll just be a peon, Harls! But a peon who makes good dough."

* * *

After another week of phone tag between Harley and Joan Leland, Harley finally got in touch with the Head of Psychiatry. "Mister Wayne put in a good word for you Dr. Napier-Quinzel.", Joan said in a soft and pleasant voice.

"Please, it's just Dr. Quinzel, no Napier. And really, just call me Harley.", she assured.

"Okay, Harley. I would enjoy very much meeting with you about the position. However, I don't want to waste your time either. You are aware that the position's primary case will be treating The Joker?"

"Yes, I am aware.", Harley replied firmly.

"And, well I'm just going to lay this all on the table, the reason the position is open is because he had either seriously injured or murdered all his previous doctors." Harley took a deep breath to help calm her nerves.

"Yes, Doctor Leland."

"Okay then. Please be assured that we are taking all necessary caution when it comes to your safety, however, he never ceases to surprise us." Joan said unenthusiastically. "I will transfer you to the receptionist so you can make an appointment for the interview. I really do look forward to meeting you. I've never actually had a doctor volunteer to treat The Joker before."

"Well, when you're given an opportunity to do something life changing, you take it.", Harley said and she immediately regretted it.

"Yes, well lets hope this is life changing for the better.", said Joan.

Once off the call, Harley felt a surge of adrenaline. She wondered what he would think when he first saw her. Would he play along? Would he just decide to end her for once and all? She tucked her cell phone in her purse that sat in the passenger seat next to her as she drove home.

"Who was that, mommy?", Lucy asked from her seat behind Harley. Harley glanced in the rear view mirror. "How would you like to go back to Gotham for a while, baby?" The rest of the ride home was filled with Lucy's chattering of excitement about staying with Auntie Pam and going back to the museum every day. Harley ended up tuning her out as the adrenaline slowly subsided and was replaced by a warmth as she realized she may have her Jack back after all. 


	9. Chapter 9

Two more weeks had passed. Harley made a special trip to Gotham one Monday morning after dropping Lucy off at school. Arkham Asylum was not at all how she had pictured it to be. Upon arriving she pulled through the wrought iron gate that surrounded the premise. Each metal post was adorned with a spike making the experience of an escape quite difficult, but not impossible if one was very determined. The guard at the entrance checked Harley's ID and waved her through, directing her down the long drive that would take her to the entrance.

It was a rainy day which seemed to be the norm in Gotham. As she drove closer to the mammoth building she took note of its depressing nature. It appeared to have been built nearly a century ago. There were few windows to speak of and of the ones she could see all had bars across them.

She parked her car among the dozens of others in the main parking lot. She avoided the first two rows which were clearly marked for visitors although they were completely barren. As she turned off the ignition, the rain seemed to pick up and she regretted her choice of black heels. She looked in her rear view mirror to see the tall, ancient building and felt drawn to it. He was in there. Shaking her head to release the thought, she gathered her purse and umbrella as she prepared to jog as quickly as she could through the pelting rain.

Upon entering, the inside wasn't much more updated than the outside. With yellowed floor tiles and what she would describe as "puke green" walls, it appeared to have last been remodeled in the eighties. There was a security station ahead, but no one was there to man it. She let herself through and only then did she notice just how quiet the building was. There must be a hundred people nearby, but there wasn't a peep to be heard. It was almost deafening to her. Her heels clicked and echoed as she found her way to the reception area. An older woman with tight brown curls sat at the desk watching what sounded like a daytime soap opera from a tiny black and white tv. After a long moment, Harley gently tapped on the glass partition. The mousy woman held a finger up as she continued to watch the television. She suddenly gasped at the show, startling Harley and the woman turned off the TV as she mumbled to herself. "I knew it, just knew it!", she complained as she began clicking on her computer away without looking up to greet Harley.

"Excuse me?", Harley asked in confusion.

The receptionist rolled her eyes up to Harley and sighed, "Alberto just broke his neck on the ski hill. There goes my eye candy for the week.", she huffed.

"Oh, I'm, sorry? I'm um, Harleen Quinzel. I have an interview with Doctor Leland."

"Mmm hmm.", the receptionist hummed as she clicked around on her computer screen. "I don't got a Darleen Quincy on the books."

"No, it's Harleen Quinzel. I have an eleven o'clock with Joan."

The woman looked to Harley dumbfounded, "Sheesh what a name."

Just then the door next to the reception area opened and Joan stepped out.

"Doctor Quinzel! I was just coming to see if you had arrived."

The receptionist reached out and slapped a VISITOR pass sticker crookedly over Harley's heart making her stumble backward. Joan gestured for Harley to follow her as they began walking down an endless maze of corridors.

"Sorry about that.", Joan said sheepishly. "It's hard to get decent help around here. That's why I was excited to meet with you!"

Harley smiled and brushed a stray strand of blonde behind her ear.

As the pair came to the end of the last hall, they entered Joan's office. Like the rest of the building, it was quite dated. The walls were a pale blue with a gold filigree wallpaper border lining the tops. Faded pictures of roses in a vase and a faux ocean view were hung. Joan's desk was organized via the "pile system", an obvious symptom of an overworked woman.

Harley took a seat across from Joan's antiquated desk and sat her bag on the floor. She suddenly felt self conscious about her lack of confidence since entering the building. If she was going to get this opportunity she needed to grow a spine and prove she could handle such a notorious criminal. She stood straighter and cleared her throat, "Joan, thank you again for this opportunity. I have always been interested in criminal psychology."

Harley would have continued, however Joan cut in. "Harley, I know that cases like this can sound like a once in a lifetime opportunity and that is true. However, it's likely because cases like these are often the last a doctor will ever take if you catch my drift."

Harley sighed internally. Of course she was nervous about what his reaction would be upon learning that she was his new doctor, but he wouldn't hurt her. Not really. As she pondered on that thought she realized that Joan was still talking.

"... and of course we are not taking your safely lightly. As you will see, Arkham is a bit, hmmm, behind the times with its decor and that is because we choose to use our funding on more important needs such as guards, security key pads, emergency shut down measures. What I'm trying to say is that we promise to do everything in our power to keep you safe while you treat The Joker. If others had their way, he'd be locked in solitary until he rotted, but the state doesn't allow that and I don't believe that's the moral thing to do either. Do you believe that there is hope for everyone, Harley?", Joan looked at her with a sincere look.

Of course she did, that was why she was here putting up this ridiculous act. However just as she was about to agree a guard threw the door open.

"Doctor Leland!", he panted desperately as if he just ran a marathon, "He's doing it again!"

Joan stood up with a start and Harley's heart began to race.

"Did you dose him with the Thorazine?", Joan asked quickly.

The guard nodded, "Overdosed even. It's not working and he already bit right through McCarty's cheek, ma'am! Right through it!"

Joan nodded and glanced to Harley. "Harley? Are you accepting our offer?"

Harley jumped up as she spoke, "Yes, of course."

"Then come with me, Doctor Quinzel."


	10. Chapter 10

As the two women hurried down the hall the fluorescent lights above them flickered and soon the red emergency lights that lined the walls began to strobe. An obnoxious alarm sounded and reverberated in Harley's ears as she tried to keep up with Joan as they rushed through the maze and down a dim stairwell.

Harley was unsure of what sort of scene she was about to enter. Her legs began to feel like jelly as they came to the bottom of the stairs and she gripped the railing watching Joan slide her keycard through the card reader on a heavy steel door. The guard that had barged in on Harley's interview had been following them, but at a much slower pace and just as Joan opened the door, he finally joined them.

The alarm was still blaring however, it sounded different than it had upstairs. The walls were cinderblock and narrow and the alarm sounded warped and more shrill. At first the hall appeared desolate. Joan slowed her pace and appeared to be listening closely. She turned to Harley with an uneasy look and shook her head as she seemed to change her mind about what they were about to do. Just as Joan grabbed Harley's upper arm to steer her back to the door they had just entered they heard a man scream.

Joan looked over her shoulder with a quiet gasp and then back to the guard. She yelled to him over the sound of the alarm, "Haven't you called for backup?"

The guard was pale and it appeared that Joan's words took a moment to sink in. He grabbed the walkie talkie from his belt and spoke into it frantically. Joan kept looking back down the hallway for any other signs of commotion. The scream seemed to have come from the next hall on the left. Her forehead was creased, however she seemed to be attempting an air of confidence. She gave Harley a small smile. 

Harley's heart hammered in her ears. She began questioning her plan. She did not want to see Jack like this. She had been so careful to avoid this part of his life. It was obviously too late to change her mind and she felt trapped. The walls felt like they were getting even tighter and her feet were itching to run. Suddenly, the door behind the trio flung open as four more guards entered swiftly. These guards were dressed in Kevlar and carried what appeared to be taser guns. The four guards pushed past the women and made their way down the hall and to the left.

A commotion was heard. It was difficult to decipher the words, however a chilling laugh broke through the noise. Harley felt goosebumps rise on the back of her neck and coat her arms. Suddenly her feet no longer wanted to run out the exit and she found herself slowly walking toward him.

"Harley!", Joan shouted in an attempt to call back to dazed doctor.

Harley continued down the hall and Joan followed. "Harley! Come back! DOCTOR QUINZEL!", she shouted just as the noise of the alarm died. Joan's voice echoed throughout the hall and the laughing stopped suddenly. Harley continued to ignore Joan as she made it to the intersection of the next hall. Now that the laughing had ceased, only muffled grunts and the quiet commands of the guards remained. Harley took a breath and turned the corner.

It was a bloodbath. Red streaks were smeared across the walls and floors. Handprints littered the cinderblocks mimicking a preschoolers demented finger painting project. A young guard had collapsed on the ground and was quietly moaning in a dark red puddle as he held a palm against his cheek. Two other men laid silently on the floor nearby. Harley slowly lifted her eyes to meet those of The Joker. His faded green hair covered his bare face in greasy ringlets. He was clothed in a bright orange Arkham jumpsuit that had been torn here and there and was covered in blood that was not likely to be his own. He was now being held by two guards at each shoulder as they forced him down to his knees. His eyes bore into hers as his smile slowly disappeared and his chest rose in measured breaths. After another moment of resistance he finally relented and pulled his hands behind his back as one of the men quickly handcuffed him.

Harley took several slow steps toward him and longed to reach out to him. She wanted to feel him. She wanted to take him and run away from this nightmare they were living.

If the guards were surprised by his compliance, they didn't show it. As they began to drag his limp body back toward his cell, his face finally changed as he gave her the slightest of smiles. A smile she had not seen in a very long time. A smile that did not belong to The Joker and suddenly it seemed her heart began to beat again.

Emergency medical personnel made their way past the women and began treating the victims that were left in The Joker's wake. Joan touched Harley's shoulder. She was talking for a minute before Harley started listening. "-it's just that... I've never seen him do that before."

"Do what?", Harley turned and asked.

"Just give up. He always has to be subdued by tranquilizer or taser.", Joan shrugged.

Harley turned her head back down the now empty hall. She looked down at her shoes that were soaked in blood.

"I understand if you changed your mind after all this.", Joan said sympathetically.

Harley looked back up to meet Joan's questioning eyes and shook her head. She took moment to steady her voice before saying, "Dr Leland, there is always hope for everyone."


	11. Chapter 11

It had been a week since Harley's interview at Arkham. The Joker was set to be released from solitary after murdering two guards and critically injuring a third. He would need a psych evaluation upon his release and Harley was already on her way to the therapy room for their first visit. The sound of her black heels echoed down the silent halls only accompanied by the shuffle of the guard who escorted her.

"There'll be an armed guard with ya in the room, doc. Two more will be standing outside the door if anything goes wrong. But they got 'im wrapped up nice and tight for ya. He won't be givin' ya much trouble today.", the chubby guard assured her. She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye and spotted a dollop of jelly from a previously eaten donut in the corner of his mouth and identical jelly spots sprinkled all over his pale blue shirt. He slowed down as they approached the therapy room door sandwiched between two serious looking guards who were armed with pistols in their holsters.

"Watch yer self in there, doc. He tries ta get inside yer brain.", he said as he spun his index finger in a circle near his temple.

One of the guards typed in a code on the keypad above the door handle and she was allowed to enter. The room was bright with fluorescent lighting and not at all welcoming. The walls were a yellowed white cinderblock. There were no windows. There was a wooden table in the middle of the room and two chairs on either side, both of which were bolted to the floor. Harley of course only noticed these things after she saw him. There he sat, chained to the chair. He wore a dirty straight jacket that was so tight, she was sure made it hard for him to breathe. However, she was most concerned with the leather muzzle covering his mouth. There were holes poked across allowing him to take breaths and speak, but it covered most of his face except for his brown eyes. Harley swallowed thickly and gave a nod to the third armed guard in the corner of the room behind The Joker. Although she couldn't see his mouth, she could see he was smiling by the way his eyes creased. She felt a shiver start at her shoulders and quickly work its way down her core. She pursed her lips and took a seat across the table from her husband placing her clipboard on her lap and feeling the blood rush back to her fingertips after her grip was released.

The Joker sat silent, but eyed her up and down. The smile never left his eyes. All she could hear was his heavy breathing which was amplified by the cover over his mouth. After giving herself one more moment to compose herself, she spoke. "Good afternoon, Mister Doe. I am your new psychiatrist, Doctor Quinzel. It's a pleasure to meet you." The smile left his eyes and the sound of his breathing ceased.

"You're, uh, my new doc- _tor_?", he asked, but it sounded more like a statement.

"I am."

He made a sound which could only be described as a purr and he relaxed as much as he was able under his restraints. "Doctor _Quinzel. Interesting._ " She could hear the squelching sound of his tongue ravaging his lips. A sound she has been so familiar with since his scars first began to heal. She remembered how painful it seemed watching his skin knit itself back together. When his lips dried out they cracked and bled and he started the habit of licking them to keep them moist. He did it so often it became a part of his demeanor. His tongue would dart out of his mouth anytime he needed an extra half second to respond or when he was being salacious toward her. Like Pavlov's Dog, it made her squirm in her seat and she crossed her legs. She cleared her throat and knitted her eyebrows. After picking up her clipboard she pretended to read the questions she was supposed to ask during their evaluation, but her brain refused to read the words.

"I believe the first question is that you ask me my _name_.", he offered.

She blinked and met his stare. "Right, would you like to let me know your name, Mister Doe? Your real name?"

"Bob." The guard in the corner frowned as he listened carefully.

"Bob?", she asked. This was ridiculous. If he was going to play games with her, she was going to have a very difficult time getting through to Jack.

"There a problem? I'm the sixth in a long history of Bobs, Doctor. I don't see what's _so_ funny." She hadn't realized that she had begun to smile and was on the verge of giggles. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and looked back to her clipboard. He smiled again. "Why don't you just call me what everyone else calls me, hm?"

"I'm not calling you that. I'll call you Bob before I ever call you by that name."

"What do you want to, uh, call me, Doc?" He knew exactly what she wanted to call him - Jack. It was a name she knew she couldn't speak, at least not here with people around. He was teasing her.

"How about, J?", she said with a smug grin.

"How about Mister J, and you got yourself a deal."

She nearly snorted at the ridiculous notion of calling him something so formal.

"So what are you really doing here, Doctor Quinzel? Why _are_ you here?", he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well, I'm here to treat you, of course, Mister J. I think that there may be more to you than this-this persona.", she gestured to him. "I think that there may have been a rational man under this exterior of mayhem and grease paint at some point."

He barked a laugh and tilted his head back. "That's an, uh, interesting theory, Doc, but not very original. Besides, what you see here has _always_ been who I am."

Harley frowned. He couldn't really think that. She knew it wasn't true or else she would have never fallen in love with him in the first place. "I don't believe that." She shook her head and shifted in her seat. He narrowed his eyes on her once more and leaned forward.

"A predator does what it needs to in order to gain the trust of its prey. It may lure its victims into a false, ah, sense of security, but in the end, a snake is still a snake and it's always been a snake, even if it seemed to be harmless at one point. _It's all a part of the game_.", he said in a low voice.

The door's buzzer made an awful sound as it opened and a guard was suddenly next to Harley, offering a hand to escort her out. "Times up", the guard stated. She turned her gaze to the the man in uniform and took his hand as he helped her up from the chair. The moment their hands touched, The Joker growled and jolted quickly against his chains and three guns were instantly aimed at him. Harley quickly turned to face him again with shock painted across her face to see The Joker with anger pulsating from his body. The guard encouraged her to leave, but as she did, she couldn't resist looking back at her patient who she realized was still jealous over her even after all these years.


	12. Chapter 12

TW: Attempted rape/incest

The Joker loved the night. Even while vacationing at dear ol' Arkham Asylum he thrived during the dark hours. The building was quiet as the rest of the loonies were in their drug-induced slumber and he was finally able to think in peace. He lied still on his stiff bed, if you could call the cheap foam mattress a bed and his fingers were laced neatly atop his stomach. He stared up to the grimy cement ceiling. There wasn't much to see due to the darkness of the unlit room, but there was some light sneaking in from the tiny window embedded in the steel door. He normally slept for only a few hours at most each night. Sleep was a waste of time as far as he was concerned. Some of his best plotting came to him when he was so tired that it was difficult to tell if he was dreaming or hallucinating. Those were the best types of plans. What was it again? You lose your sanity after seven days without sleep? He couldn't recall if he ever quite made it to seven days, but he didn't really pay attention to such mundane details anyway.

On this particular night he had quite a lot to think about, mainly his brand new doctor. Seeing Harley that day in the asylum hall was shocking indeed. He almost thought he was seeing things, but sure enough, his dear sweet wife had come to pay him a visit. He hadn't been completely sure why she was there, but he was very interested. He was so interested that he stopped playing with the guards a bit earlier than he had intended. It was just about to get fun too when the artillery showed up, but then there she was just standing in a sea of blood and broken bodies like a blonde angel. It wasn't until their first session earlier in the day that he really understood why the little doctor had come all the way to Gotham to the wretched asylum. Sweet, naïve Harley was still so sure that her old Jack was hiding somewhere inside The Joker. He could appreciate her efforts. She must be so _desperate_ to go so far as to move her and the kid to Gotham, get a new job, and to play this little façade with him. If he was honest, the idea of going back and forth with her and putting on this show for all of Arkham sort of got him _going_. He was interested to see what sort of plan she was capable of since she had never been much of a plotter. She was good at so many other things like making lasagna, cartwheels, keeping a secret, and _impromptu surgeries_. His tongue caressed the knotty scars along the insides of his cheeks as he dug deep into his memories.

* * *

Harley was nearing the end of her four year degree and had done astonishingly well. Jack had been working for Falcone and was gone most nights leaving Harley by herself. She tried to not notice the changes that came with the work he was a part of. When Jack's jacket fell on the floor from the coat hook she found it loaded with half a dozen knifes and a heavy pistol. When she was in the bathroom doing her makeup, she saw the reflection of his naked body in the shower littered with bruises and scrapes. She heard occasional phone calls where his voice didn't seem like his own anymore - pitching high and condescending and then demanding and low. She buried herself in her studies and patiently waited for the moments where he seemed like the old Jack.

After coming home from class late one afternoon Harley inserted the key into the lock on their apartment door. She noticed, however, that it had already been unlocked. Furrowing her brow and glancing at her watch to confirm that the time was in fact 5:30 pm and that Jack would have been gone by then, she opened the door which led to the quiet and dim living room. There was no sign of Jack or anyone for that matter. She set her purse and school bag down on the thrift store loveseat and turned on the table lamp. "Jack?", she called. There was no answer. He wouldn't be back until early morning so she didn't expect to find him home. Shrugging off the incident as a moment of stupidity. Although they had been able to move to a nice apartment further from the unsafe Narrow, she would never feel safe enough in any part of Gotham to leave her front door unlocked. She turned to lock the door behind her before heading to make a cup of coffee. She turned the small kitchen radio on for some background noise and found her favorite mug. She hummed to herself as she contemplated whether to start her homework or veg on the couch.

"Well, there she is. There's my girl!", a deep voice abused by years of cigarettes sounded from behind her. It was a familiar voice that made her feel like she would vomit. Harley turned quickly to face the man she had been taken from so many years ago. The man who haunted her dreams at night. The man she wished was dead. Her father stood smugly, leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen. "There's my sugar girl." He winked.

Harley froze as she clutched the coffee mug tightly to her chest. Her eyes were wide and her mouth felt dry. Her father, Nick Quinzel, had been nothing but evil to Harley since she was a child. Her mother passed away when she was very young and she was raised by her father until she entered into the foster system as a teen. His sickening punishments were laced with affection which confused her and made her life all the more unstable. One moment he yelled at her wishing she was never born and the next moment he was on his knees before her with his arms wrapped around her tiny waist while he sobbed into her soft belly, begging her to never leave him. He had treated her in ways that a daughter should never be treated by her father.

"You know, baby girl," he started as he proceeded toward her, "you are a tough one to find. I've been searching high and low for you for quite a while.", he said with an accusing finger pointing at her.

It was only seconds before Nick stood inches from Harley. He reached up and gently pulled a lock of blonde hair from the side of her head. He wrapped it around his fingers and held it to his nose as he took a deep inhale. His eyes rolled back and he let out a satisfied groan. "Don't worry, honey, daddy is here to bring you _back_." It was with that final word that Harley dropped the coffee mug she that had been anchoring her to the moment. In the next second, Nick had a handful of Harley's hair in his grip and she was being dragged along helplessly to the living room. She began to struggle and whimper as she was carelessly tossed on the couch. His finger was against her lips as he shushed her quiet again. Tears spilled over the rims of her eyes as she suddenly felt ten-years-old again. The memories were paralyzing as she prepared to retreat to the safe place inside her mind. She squirmed under his weight and drowned out the sound of the disgusting words he cooed over her. Her hand moved between the couch cushions searching for anything to take her away from this. When her hand felt a switchblade that must have fallen out of Jack's pocket she sobbed at the thought of using it. As much as she hated her father, he had been all she had for so long. When she heard the sound of his belt buckle clink as it hit the floor, she resolved to use whatever means necessary to protect herself. Gripping the handle and releasing the blade, she was ready. But, in a single moment, it all stopped.

There was a ringing in her ears. Her eyes were too blurry with tears to see anything clearly. Then she felt the full weight of her father fall on top of her. The action triggered a scream and Harley's hand shot up to attack whatever she could find. She felt the blade sink into his flesh. It tore so easily. Self hatred, the sense of liberty, and nausea swept through her body simultaneously. Suddenly she was writhing and pushing away at the body that held her down. Nick's lifeless body thumped on the floor and Harley quickly sat up. He had been shot in the side of his head. Blood and brain matter sprayed all over Harley, the coffee table and the carpet.

She heard the heavy breathing first. It was deep and getting quicker with every inhale, but it wasn't coming from the lump of flesh on the floor. She finally looked up to the person standing next to her on the other side of the couch. Her eyes, no longer blurred from her fitful tears, were able to focus on Jack who was standing still with a Glock 43 with a silencer at his side. His seething breath was accompanied by angry eyes, but worst of all there was the large, oozing gash on the left side of his face. Blood ran down his chin and neck and it soaked his violet button down dress shirt. He reached for her and pulled her up off the couch. Aside from his labored breathing through his nose, he was silent as he searched her trembling body for any marks or injuries. He pulled her close and squeezed his arms and she began to cry again. "Jack!", she sobbed, finally letting go. "Jack, oh no, Jack!", she repeated as she gasped for air. She grabbed handfuls of the back of his shirt as she pulled herself to him so tightly. 

The rest of the night was spent with Harley's shaking hands crudely stitching up the man she loved with a small sewing needle and fishing wire. She could not seem to apologize enough times for her rash action. "I didn't realize you were there! I would have never hurt you, Jack. Please, please forgive me. I'm so sorry." Jack didn't speak much that night and she figured it was due to the immense pain he must have been feeling. However, near the morning hours and after he had a steady flow of whisky running through his veins he pulled her close to him. She was beginning to cry again when his fingers gripped her chin and he spoke through clenched teeth, "Look at me." When she refused he growled and said again, "Look at me." And she did. He was staring intensely into her bloodshot eyes as he continued, "You only did what anyone would do, Harls. When the chips are down, everyone looks out for number, uh, one. In this case, that's _you_ , doll. Don't ever let anyone make you feel like you're the odd one. We're all _strange_ here, Harley." He reached up and gathered a lock of her hair and twirled it around his fingers. It was different when he did it compared to her father. When Jack did it, she felt safe. She worked through the words he said to her and attempted to make sense of them with a knitted brow. "Hey," he said quietly, prompting her to return his eye contact while palming her cheek. He gave a smile that she was sure must have felt agonizing with his new stitches. "Why so serious?"


	13. Chapter 13

Harley's first week at Arkham had come to an end. She had met with Jack only once and she already felt discouraged. She should have known he would make the whole situation difficult on her. On top of the stresses that come with a new job and moving to a new city, Lucy had a part as a dancing daisy in the play at her new school.

"Harley, that thing is an abomination. It doesn't look a thing like an actual gerbera daisy.", Pam grumbled.

Harley was furiously sewing a tear on one of the pink petals of Lucy's costume. She sighed and glared at her friend. "Pam, I didn't design the thing. But if I don't get this done," she glanced at her watch, "five minutes ago we are gonna be late." Lucy hopped anxiously by the door of Pam's apartment begging to leave. "Okay, okay, I'm done. Let's go.", Harley shouted as she tossed the needle on the side table. She and Pam gathered up the costume and Lucy as they headed off to the school.

After arriving and getting Lucy into her somewhat wilted looking flower costume, Harley headed toward the auditorium to find her seat. As she watched parents hand off their children she noticed fathers with bouquets to give their daughters after the performance and and other dads yelling things like "break a leg, honey!", and she felt sadness. She had never received any such attention from her own father. He only gave her the sort of attention she despised. He only acted kind when he wanted her for his own selfish desires. She had hoped that Jack would be the sort of father for Lucy she always wanted. He had never really wanted kids and he was quite upset when she told him she was pregnant, but she had hoped he would come around after she was born. She was now under the impression that he didn't even remember he had a daughter unless he saw her in person or Harley talked about her. Harley felt robbed of a true father-daughter bond and she felt awful that Lucy seemed destined to have the same experience. Harley was startled from her thoughts when she ran into a man with an "oof". She heard a chuckle and looked up to see the handsome face of Bruce Wayne.

"Well, well, we have got to stop running into each other like this."

After the initial surprise wore off, Harley gave a small, embarrassed smile and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I'm such a klutz. I can't believe I did that... again. I swear, I don't normally plow into people all the time."

"I can't say that I mind it.", he shrugged. Feeling awkward, Harley decided to break the small silence,

"Do you have kids that go to this school?", she asked awkwardly.

Bruce looked amused and said, "Oh no. I'm afraid that ship sailed. I'm just a patron of fine art. That and I hoped I might run into you."

Harley looked surprised. "Me?"

"I heard you took the job at Arkham and wanted to congratulate you."

"I did. Thank you for connecting me with Joan. I'm enjoying being there."

"No kidding? And here you stand, breathing and everything.", he chuckled, but there appeared to be concern behind his eyes. "You haven't seen _him_ yet, have you?"

"Only once so far. It went well, I think. He's, uh, not making it easy.", she said.

"Sounds about right." Bruce's voice lowered to just above a whisper, "Listen, not everyone can be cured, doctor. Trust me when I say, I have a feeling that there is nothing but evil inside The Joker. The state says he has a right to treatment, but I believe that he belongs in the deepest depths of Blackgate Prison. I just don't want you to be wasting your time and energy on someone who can't be fixed. He has the ability to get into peoples' minds.", Bruce said as he gently tapped a finger on Harley's temple.

"Well, I appreciate your concern, Bruce, but I can't agree with you. There used to be a man under his persona. A real man who had the capability to be good, loving, and kind.", Harley replied.

"I'm not so sure. Sometimes devils are just born. I don't know his background, no one does, but anyone who does the things The Joker has, was never good."

Harley felt anger boiling up. She didn't know who Bruce thought he was. Jack wasn't always this way. The Joker took him over and Jack is dying to come back out. He wanted to come back to her. He wanted to be her family again. Bruce could see that he had upset Harley and started to backtrack. "Listen, maybe you're right. I'm not a doctor, it's just my personal opinion after all.", he said with defensive palms up. Music began to flow into the hall they were standing in from the auditorium. Harley took a breath as she attempted to calm herself. "I should get going." She stepped around Bruce to head into the auditorium. Bruce turned to watch her leave and felt defeated.

The remainder of the weekend was quiet. Harley headed into work on Monday morning feeling refreshed and determined. Upon entering her office she found a large bouquet of red roses. She slowly approached the overflowing crystal vase and touched the heart-shaped card the stuck out among the flowers. 'Dr Quinzel, I hope you will give me a chance to start over. I'd love to take you out to talk more. -Bruce'. There was a knock on Harley's office door and Joan let herself inside. She eyed the flowers and gave Harley a coy smile.

"Good morning, Joan. Have a nice weekend?", Harley half stuttered.

"I did and it looks like you did as well."

Harley looked back at the flowers and suddenly recalled what happened after her evening with Guy Kopski and quickly refuted Joan's assumption. "These? Oh no, these are from, uh, my dad! Good ol' daddy just sending me flowers as a congratulations gift for my new job."

"Oh.", Joan said sounding somewhat disappointed, but Harley felt satisfied with her lie. "Listen Harley. Something has been going on with The Joker that I can't explain."

Harley became worried and walked closer to her superior. "What is it, Joan? Is he okay?"

"Well that's the thing. He's been perfectly fine." Joan shrugged. "He didn't cause a single incident the entire weekend. No one was attacked, he ate all his meals, he even took his meds. The only thing I can think is that it has to do with you. I listened to the recording of your session and other than him seeming to be... cordial, I didn't hear any sort of breakthrough. Harley, I think he likes you.", Joan said sounding more than confused. Harley felt as though her heart would burst. She stared at Joan with a dazed expression as her words circled around Harley's mind. "Of course, this could be a test of sorts. He could be manipulating you. Playing a game. I wouldn't get too excited yet. Keep up your guard doctor." Joan patted Harley on the shoulder before she turned to walk out of the room. Something caught the attention of Joan's eye as she was leaving. "Oops! Looks like one of your flowers fell out of the vase." Joan pointed to the floor behind Harley's desk and she continued on her way. Harley bent down and reached for the stray rose and as she did, a thorn pricked her finger making a bubble of blood form. She stuck her finger in her mouth to quiet the pain and as she did, she noticed a note that had also fallen on the floor as well. It was written in his familiar handwriting and it read: 'I'll play along, it will be so much fun. But one misstep from you and I'll make you my Harlequin.' -J. Harley found herself rereading the note, pondering what it could mean. She twirled the note back and forth looking for a clue. After turning it upright again she was disappointed to see that she smudged it with the blood from her pricked finger.


	14. Chapter 14

They had a session later that morning. As Harley walked down the long hallway to the therapy room, she could not stop thinking about what he meant by "harlequin", in the note he left for her. He couldn't honestly believe that she would become like him, could he? They were nothing alike. She had no desire for destruction and mayhem. She had enough chaos in her life and was looking for normalcy. No, no she _hated_ The Joker. She did not want to become like him. Before she knew it she was being led into the same therapy room as before. The room was still overwhelmingly boring with its cinderblock walls and sparse furniture. But in the middle of the sea of off white and grey, he sat. He was still bound in a straightjacket, with his ankles chained to the floor. However, this time he was not wearing the leather muzzle. It was shocking to her how beautiful he was. Even after spending nearly half her life with this man, she could never get over how perfect he looked. He had of course changed over the years. Her eyes were always drawn to the scars that puckered around his mouth, especially the left side, the scar she had given him on accident.

She recalled when he first showed up to her house in the country with a box of green hair dye. He had taken in a hissing breath, almost appearing apologetic. He squinted one eye and stated, "Yeaaaah, I'm gonna need for you to do me a favor." The brand he had chosen was cheap and even though she wore the gloves that came in the box, it still managed to leave her hands with a green tint. That was the last and only time he had her dye his hair. It wasn't long after that she started to see him with traces of white makeup or red tinted lips. She didn't understand at the time what was going on and it scared her.

"Doc?", The Joker questioned. But it was when he whistled that Harley focused on her bound husband and left the old memories behind.

Harley cleared her throat, "Excuse me Mister J, I was just lost in a thought." She sat down and crossed one delicate leg over the other which made the dark pencil skirt inch up over her knee. She noticed his eyes follow the hem and continue up her body before reaching her eyes again. "I'm happy to hear that you have been behaving well this weekend. It looks like you've proven that you don't need to wear that muzzle anymore. Doesn't it pay to follow the rules?", she asked with a raised eyebrow. A smirk played at the corner of his mouth as he listened to her patronizing words.

"I knew you were just dying to get a long, hard look at this smile." He sucked at a scar before giving an unnerving wide grin.

"Well it does make it easier to talk without that thing covering your face, I will admit that.", she said as she tried to decide on how to change the subject.

"Clock's tickin', Doc. What're we talking about today?", he asked as he leaned in slightly until his chest rested against the table between them.

Harley looked down to her blank notebook. She hadn't planned much for this session, but her goal was to reach inside, past The Joker, to Jack so that was where she would start. "Well, Mister J, can you tell me a little about your relationships? Do you have any, that is?" She was nervous to ask the question, but she had to know what his response would be even though it wouldn't be truthful. There was a guard in the room and the session was being recorded.

"Now how would you knowing about my _relationships_ help cure me, hm?", he as he sat back against his chair again.

"Well, I don't believe me knowing more about you will cure you, but maybe it will help me get to know you better? I think it could help build trust.", she said confidently. She uncrossed her legs and adjusted notebook on the table in front of her.

He tilted his head slightly and paused for a moment. "Maybe I do have an _old lady_ out there somewhere.", he nodded. "Maybe she's sitting in our little apartment in Gotham right now waiting for _Daddy_ to come home to her. She's got my red lipstick smudged all over her body from the last time we were together." He licked his lips as he watched Harley's angry blush creep up from her neck to her cheeks. "We got a few kids running around and she's busy teachin' them how to use, uh, _grenades_ and how to make pipe bombs so they can be good little helpers for me one day. That what you wanna hear, D _oc_?"

Harley could tell he was trying to rile her up so she focused on the ballpoint pen in her right hand and she began to make careless scratches on the blank notebook page just to give herself something to do. "I'd like to hear the truth, actually, Mister J, if that isn't too difficult."

"Aw see, you're too smart to fall for my ramblings, aren't ya?", he winked. " _No_ , maybe, I'm _looking_. Maybe I'm searching for the one. There's someone for everyone, right? That's what they say. Do you believe that, Doctor? Is there a soulmate out there for Harleen Quinzel?"

Harley sat up suddenly sat up straighter and appeared taken aback. "Well, we are not here to talk about me. I'm here to help you.", she replied. "I just figured that there must be someone out there that you've got your eye on. Maybe someone tall, dark, and handsome. Someone who has a lot of _money_ to throw around. Someone who doesn't mind taking a beautiful woman out in public. Someone who drives flashy cars and throws fancy parties in their penthouse. Someone who has their name _scrawled_ all over this city like he's some kind of savior. Someone like that, Doc? You looking for someone like tha-t?" The guard who was standing in the corner was moving closer to him as The Joker was getting worked up and his voice was getting louder.

Harley shook her head and put her hand up to stop the guard from progressing towards her patient. "Now, now, Mister J. Remember, good behavior lets us continue our sessions, right?" She gave him a knowing look, reminding him that there was a game going on and they needed to be together to play. "If you start to get violent, they may not let us meet for a while."

Then, just like that he was leaning back in his chair and that vein that had started to pop out of the side of his neck retreated. They stared at each other for a moment, each regulating their breathing again. The guard looked at his watch before he spoke, "Doctor, this session is about over. Should I take the patient back to his room?"

Harley tore her eyes away from The Joker's gaze and nodded to the guard. "Yes, but I would like to come with you. I would like to see the patient's room."

Moments later Harley and the guard were escorting a bound Joker back to his cell. The trio stood in a large metal elevator as they descended to the underbelly of Arkham Asylum. The Joker began to whistle and stared up at the mirrored ceiling. Harley glanced up to the mirrored ceiling as well and when their eyes met and he puckered his lips to blow a kiss. She suddenly looked away with a blush. The elevator came to a stop on the bottom floor where the most intense cases were kept. The guard turned to Harley and asked, "You are credentialed to be down here, right?" Harley had no idea if she was, but she wanted to see where Jack was staying. He had been moved since the first day she saw him at Arkham, when he had killed those men in the hallway. She nodded, "Oh, of course. I would never ask you to do something that wasn't by the books, I assure you." The Joker gave Harley a skeptical look as he was guided out of the elevator.

The first door they came to required a key card and a code to open. The guard covered the keypad from The Joker, but Harley was still able to see the numbers he punched. She repeated the numbers in her head several times before they seemed to stick. "Home sweet home.", The Joker said gleefully once they reached his cell. The heavy steel door required a swipe of the guard's key card and the little light on the lock turned green. A loud click signified that the door was opened. Harley watched from the outside of the doorway as the guard led The Joker into the room to remove the straightjacket. It was quite an ordeal. The Joker rested his forehead on the cement wall as the guard undid each buckle from behind. The Joker turned his head slightly to peer at Harley out of the corner of his eye. She appeared cold and uncomfortable standing there alone. They made eye contact just as the last buckle was undone and The Joker whipped his head back making a hard contact to the guard's forehead. The man hit the floor unconscious with a thud and Harley let out a squeak as The Joker reached out to her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her into the cell. He slammed the door behind her and pushed her body against the now locked door with his own. With his hands now free, they rested on either side of her head. Harley's heart raced and her eyes locked onto his both in fear and something else she couldn't put her finger on, but it felt like excitement. There was adrenaline pumping through her veins. He leaned down slightly to level his face with her own, but his body still held her in place. Their breath mingled and she could smell the familiar scent of her Jack under the sweat and unwashed hair. His voice was low when he spoke. "You sneaky girl. What are we doing here, huh?" He ran his fingers lightly down her face which made her breath hitch.

"I-I want to help you, Jack.", Harley whispered. Her hands longed to touch him and she found her fingers reaching for the hem of his orange Arkham shirt.

"Help me what, Harley?", he whispered on her neck. His hands moved to her waist and she found it difficult to find her words.

"I- I- want to bring you back. I want us to be a family again.", she whispered. Finally her hands floated up and gripped onto his biceps.

His head tilted back as he let out a high pitched chuckle with his eyes pinched closed. He stepped back shaking a finger at her and said, "Oh you, you _naïve_ little thing. You… you, uh, think that you're gonna cure me and we are going all go back home and live happily ever after, huh?" There was a mocking in his eyes which made Harley feel infinitely small.

"Well, no, it's not like that-", she started.

"We're gonna have coffee on the porch in the morning. Take the little brat to the park-"

Harley cut off his rambling as she poked his chest. "Don't call her that!", her voice rose before she could catch herself. "That 'little brat' is your daughter, Jack. She adores you and talks about you all of the time."

He rolled his eyes. "You live in a fantasy world, Doc. You might need to, uh, get your brain checked out." He gave her a condescending look. "I can recommend some people."

Harley looked to her feet and crossed her arms. She was at a loss for words when she noticed the guard on the floor start to slowly move his head side to side as he began to regain consciousness. The Joker took a step toward Harley again, closing the gap between them. "Now listen, _dear_.", he whispered. "Just because you're little dream of being a big happy family isn't going to, ah, pan out, doesn't mean we don't have a future." He looked her in the eye and nodded. "I've kept you around for some reason, Harley, even though it would make my life much easier if you were gone. You just need to wait for the right time."

"What do you mean?", she asked as she continued to watch the guard's eyes fluttered open as he rubbed his forehead.

"I mean, I'm not. done. with. you.", The Joker growled in her ear, lips drifting down to her neck where he gave her a gentle nip with his teeth. 

"Doctor Quinzel!", the guard shouted. He was on his feet again although a bit unsteady with his gun pulled. The Joker raised his hands as he still faced Harley.

"Now, now, the doctor and I just had to have a little chat.", The Joker said cheerily.

"Step aside, freak.", the guard yelled as he reached for his walkie-talkie and called for back-up. The guard continued to hold his gun as he shouted orders into the walkie-talkie, The Joker took the opportunity to whisper one last thing. "Stay away from Bruce Wayne, Harley." The seriousness in his tone was sobering and Harley slowly nodded.


	15. Chapter 15

After the incident involving the unconscious guard and being locked in The Joker's cell, Harley was reprimanded by Joan. "I'm not sure about this, Doctor Quinzel. Maybe you aren't the right fit for this case. I'm worried for your safety.", Joan said with a concerned expression.

"Joan, please, I agree it was foolish for me to go down to his cell in the first place. I felt that if I could get a look at where he was staying, I might be able to have a better grasp of what he is going through. I should not have gone and I won't do it again."

Joan pursed her lips and stood with arms crossed. She rubbed the space between her eyes and sighed. "This is your last chance, Harley. Please don't make me regret my decision."

Harley's face lit up. "So I can continue to be his doctor?"

"For now, yes. But I have warned you, he has a way of getting inside people's heads. You must stay vigilant. You are here to treat him, not be his friend.", Joan said sternly before swiftly leaving Harley's office.

Harley reclined in her desk chair relieved. The Joker was barred from any extra activities because of his behavior with the guard. Not that he cared; he wasn't fond of art therapy or the schizophrenics' anonymous group they forced him to attend. Harley gently touched her neck with her fingertips as she remembered the way his lips brushed against her there. She shook her head to snap herself out of the reverie. She reminded herself that she wasn't with Jack yet, she was still treating The Joker. He was using seduction to manipulate her for whatever reason. Joan was right, she had to stay vigilant. If she could coax Jack back out to her, maybe he would stay.

That evening after work, Harley was driving to Lucy's school to pick her up. She was idling, stuck in rush hour traffic on the highway. The smell of exhaust was permeating the car. She had forgotten how different it was to live in the city. Back in the small town where she lived for the last several years, there was no such thing as rush hour. She would have Lucy home and a home cooked dinner on the table by six o' clock every evening and now she was lucky to have them home by seven eating soup or some of Pam's vegan leftovers. Harley's eyes drifted across the sea of cars and semi-trucks and she noticed an upcoming exit that would take her back to the old farmhouse. She thought about how it was sitting quiet and alone with none of Lucy's giggles to fill it up. The windows were closed up tight preventing the fresh air from making the curtains dance. The fireplace was cold and dark. In a way she longed to go back, but she also felt happy to be away. That home held wonderful memories from bringing Lucy home and watching her grow. The sweet weekends that Jack would visit when she first moved out there and how he would fix door hinges and paint bedrooms. There were also many not so happy memories. She felt sadness as she remembered the times Jack forgot to come home. The birthdays he said he would spend with Lucy, but didn't. The phone calls she overheard of ruthless business deals when he did actually decide to spend time with her. Oh, and there was the incident. The one that she hated to remember. The one that just didn't seem to fit within her reality. She hated when that memory resurfaced and she usually tried to stuff it back down in its nice little box in the recesses of her mind. However, she was having a bit of difficulty in banishing it this time.

* * *

Lucy had just been a baby, not even one yet. Jack had been visiting less and less since her birth. He physically cringed when Lucy cried. He did not step up to change a diaper or feed her a bottle. He was as detached as anyone could be. Occasionally Harley would deposit Lucy in his arms while she took a much needed break in the shower. He would stare straight ahead at the TV with the little girl was nestled in the crook of his arm. Sometimes Harley would see him standing in front of the window watching the clouds move in the sky while Lucy cried and he ever so slightly swayed from side to side in an effort to comfort the baby.

It was late night or early morning, but either way time was a blur to Harley then. Lucy was not a good sleeper and Harley often sat mindlessly rocking the baby off and on throughout the night in the wooden rocker near a big window overlooking the front yard. Lucy's baby snores were the only sound in the house aside from an occasional creak of the house settling. There was not much to be seen outside, just a dark dirt road and a cornfield across the way that was illuminated by moonlight. It was then that Harley saw headlights bouncing as a car dodged the potholes before it pulled into her driveway. The driver's side door opened and Jack's long legs stepped out. Harley still considered him Jack at the time. They wouldn't start to refer to him as The Joker until a few months later after his first public debut. Harley couldn't help the small smile from creeping across her face once she saw him. She put the baby in her crib and quietly closed the bedroom door before creeping down the steps to meet Jack.

He hung up his jacket in the closet as he watched her bound up to him and kiss the unscarred side of his face. "I didn't know you were coming. Are you hungry?", she asked beaming up to him. "Always.", he said almost with a purr. She led him into the kitchen and flipped on the overhead light. "Sit down, I'll fix you something." He pulled out a chair and sat back with a sigh.

He watched her bounce around the kitchen and appreciated the way her oversized night shirt skimmed the tops of her thighs. It made him wonder why he didn't make it home more often. She peeked over her shoulder to catch him staring and he winked back. She continued putting on a show as she bent over to find a pan to cook him some eggs and bacon. "So, are you staying long?", she asked while putting bread in the toaster.

"Hmmm, no.", he stated without disappointment.

"Oh.", she responded solemnly. "Guess you're pretty busy, huh?"

"That I am, sugar.", he said as he rested the back of his head on his hands and stretched out his legs under the table.

"Lucy has been starting to figure out crawling, you know? I'm about to have my hands pretty full.", Harley chuckled.

"You don't say.", he replied before he began to whistle a quiet tune that she couldn't identify. She turned around with his food piled on a plate and placed it before him before she turned to the coffee pot to put on a fresh brew.

"I guess you don't really care about that though." She shrugged. His whistling stopped and he grabbed his fork and started to shovel food in his mouth like he hadn't eaten in days. By the looks of him, he probably hadn't. She poured two cups of coffee and scooped a bit of sugar in each before bringing them to the table. She took a seat across from him and pulled her feet on the chair to sit cross legged. She hugged her coffee tight and regretted not wearing a robe now that she was in the much cooler kitchen. "I'm right though, aren't I?", she asked cautiously. "You don't really care about Lucy."

He took a long swig of hot coffee and then his eyes met hers. "Not, uh, particularly."

She knew it was true, but it still stung to have her suspicions confirmed. She nodded slowly and tears pricked her eyes. He continued to suck down the rest of the coffee before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He offered her one and she shook her head. He shrugged and lit up and inhaled like it was the first breath of spring air.

"Do you care about me?", she asked. Her voice sounded thick with sadness. She worried more about that answer than she did the question about Lucy. His head tilted to the side and he took another deep inhale. He pointed at her with cigarette in hand before he spoke. "You, Harley, don't have anything to worry about. We got history, you and I. You've tangled yourself up in my life so much that I don't know where you end and I begin. You don't judge me."

"What is there to judge, Jack? I don't even know you anymore." A tear stained her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. He sucked hard on the inside of his scared cheek and she quickly looked down. She felt guilty about what she had done to his face even though he never blamed her and didn't seem to mind it. He had developed quite a fixation with it. He constantly tongued it and sucked on the inside, he gnawed at the inside flesh so much that it always felt rough on the occasion that he let her tongue enter his mouth. He stood up and brought his plate to the sink and filled up his mug once again with coffee. He strolled to the butcher block and ran his fingertips across the handles of each knife before wrapping his long, slender fingers around the handle of a simple paring knife. He guzzled the rest of the coffee before taking the knife back to the table and returning to his seat. He motioned to her to come closer and patted his lap. She straddled him and looked down to fiddle with the hem of her white night shirt. He dragged the tip of the knife across the edge of the table, absentmindedly. Finally he spoke again, breaking the heavy silence. "You know more about me than you think you do. No one else knows my secrets just like no one else knows _yours_." He slowly dragged the tip of the knife across a particularly long scar on her inner thigh. She shivered and clenched her thighs tighter around his hips. He touched her jaw with the tip of the knife to force her to look at him. "This ride is about to get real bumpy, Harl. I need you to be a big girl and hang on tight. You may not understand the big picture yet, but someday you will. I know you will, because, ah, you and I are the same. We are cut from the same cloth, you know." She did not understand, but she felt nervous to say so. "We want the same things, Harley. We want control, but we know that control is unobtainable so we embrace the chaos.", he whispered the last word close to her ear and it gave her goosebumps all over her body. She shook her head and he nodded his. It was then that she really noticed just how tired he was. He was running on coffee and cigarettes and his ramblings seemed to get more obscure all of the time. "Yes, Harley, when we embrace the chaos, we master it. You and I will own it and harness it and only you and I will understand the power of it. You aren't ready yet, I know that. I will give you time, but one day, you will understand and you and I will stand upon the ashes of a city that thought it could be bigger than us."

"Jack, I – I – I don't understand!", Harley's voice trembled and tears were flowing freely.

"One day, you will." He gently wiped a stream of tears from her cheek and gave her a long, deep kiss. She opened her mouth and his tongue dove in. She seized the opportunity to shove her fingers in his hair and she rolled her hips against him while he let out the faintest of moans. He rested his hands on her thighs and gently pulled her back. He petted her hair and she moved his palm to her cheek. He sat up straighter and after a moment, he was ripping the paring knife through his right cheek. He groaned, but it seemed more like a sound of pleasure than of pain. Blood spattered across Harley's face and white t-shirt and she was paralyzed with an expression of pure shock across her face. Blood dripped down his face, soaking his shirt and dripping on the floor. "When you are ready, I will be too.", he said though it sounded garbled. He turned his head and spit the excess of blood on the kitchen floor. Harley finally found the ability to move and scrambled to find the first aid kit in the bathroom. The baby started to cry distantly from upstairs and The Joker couldn't help but chuckle.


	16. Chapter 16

"Coffee?", Joan asked Harley as she poured herself a cup from the small coffee maker in the corner of her office.

Harley nodded as she took a seat across from Joan's desk.

"I don't think I could survive this place if I didn't keep a coffee pot in here. Some days it's all I'm running on.", Joan chuckled.

"I hear you on that.", Harley replied. She felt nervous because this was the first time she would be officially reporting out on The Joker case with Joan. She had been meeting with him for a month at this point. She had not really gained much insight on him during that time. Some days she felt like they were just going in circles.

"I bet you do. On top of it all you have a daughter, right?", Joan asked as she took a seat and inched Harley's cup toward her.

Harley reached forward and wrapped her fingers around the Styrofoam. "Yes, Lucy. She's about to turn five, actually."

Joan smiled as Harley pulled her phone out of her pocket to show a picture. Lucy was a beauty with her untamable blonde curls and a smile that stretched a mile. She had Harley's blue eyes, but that smile was 100% Jack. "She's beautiful.", Joan said. "I know it's none of my business, Harley, but I noticed you don't have a wedding ring and when I realized that I also realized, I don't know a whole lot about you personally."

Harley raised her eyebrows and about choked on her coffee.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Harley! It really doesn't matter, honestly. You are probably a private person and that is fine, really."

Harley regained composure. "No, really, it's fine." She took a breath. "I am married, but my husband is away actually. He works on the road so we don't see him much which is why it was easy for us to transition to Gotham. It's actually a lot easier for us to see him now."

Joan smiled and looked somewhat relieved to have not offended her employee. "Well that is good news! I'd like to meet him one day."

Harley smiled and looked down to watch the creamy swirls dance in her coffee.

"So, I am looking forward to hearing about your progress with, Mister J, is it?", Joan chuckled again.

After clearing her throat and sitting up straighter Harley nodded. "Yes, Mister J. I thought that if I called him by the name he wants to be called, that would be feeding into the delusion. Mister J is a compromise that he seems okay with."

"I've read your notes and listened to some of your session tapes. He doesn't seem to be giving you much, but I have to say there is something that seems to be helping him. He has been less violent overall in this past month with a few exceptions of course. He is not necessarily receptive to your therapy technique, but he is at least talking with you. Why do you think that is?", Joan asked.

"Well, I'm not sure. He seems to enjoy the back and forth conversation. I think that he has been acting better lately because he fears losing the time together. He is incredibly smart and I think he needs to have that intellectual connection with someone."

Joan nodded, "I can see that. I wonder though, why you? He has met with several other psychiatrists prior to you, but you are the only one he has tolerated. No offense is taken, I hope.", Joan said as she continued sipping her coffee.

"I don't know, Joan. I really don't know. Maybe I remind him of someone from his past."

"Interesting theory.", Joan agreed.

"Um, I was hoping to ask you something.", Harley stated nervously as she sat the coffee cup down on the edge of Joan's desk. Joan nodded for her to continue. "I know what you are going to say, but I think this could prove beneficial for our therapeutic relationship. I'd like to start meeting with him in my office. Alone."

Joan was quiet for so long that Harley thought maybe she never spoke the words at all. Finally Joan focused on Harley again and shook her head. "No, not alone. I don't think that is very safe. I'm okay with moving the sessions to your office because there is something to be said about a more comfortable environment, but I don't believe you should ever be alone with him."

"I understand.", Harley nodded. "How about a compromise? What if the guard waited outside of my office door? That way, Mister J gets more privacy to open up to me, but there is still a guard nearby to hear if I run into any trouble."

Joan chewed her lip for a moment. "You sure do like pushing boundaries, don't you, Doctor?" She sighed. "Alright, we can try it. The first moment something goes awry, sessions get moved back to the therapy room with double the armed guards. Hear me?", Joan asked sternly.

"Crystal clear.", Harley replied.

Harley and The Joker had a session scheduled for later in the afternoon. He looked pleased as punch in his straightjacket as the guard was chaining his ankles to the legs of the chair opposite of Harley's desk. Harley was seated in her chair not breaking eye contact with him.

The guard assisting was not the same one that The Joker knocked out a few weeks ago in his cell. This one was much burlier and had a gun and a tazer on his belt. "If you need me, Doctor Quinn, just yell for me and I'll be here to tackle the freak."

The Joker frowned at the insult, but didn't retaliate. As soon as the guard left, Harley let out a sigh she didn't realize she was holding in.

"Doctor Quinn. I like it.", he said in a low voice.

"He just doesn't know my name. I've never met that man.", she stated defensively waving him off.

"Doctor Quinn, Harley Quinn.", he grinned.

Harley rolled her eyes.

"Well Doc, I don't know how you finagled all this, but color me impressed.", The Joker stated.

Harley shrugged, "I figured we could have a little more privacy and maybe open up a little more."

"So go ahead then, open up.", he replied followed by his tongue running along his bottom lip.

"We aren't here for me to open up, Mister J. I want to know more about why you are the way you are. I want you to really talk to me. No more jokes, no more circles. Just talk to me.", she pleaded.

"If you want me to talk, you have to listen. You already know everything there is to know. I've told you and I've shown you, but you do not listen.", he hissed.

Harley sat confused as she tried to remember a time where he explained his motivations to her, but she came up blank. The last several years were all a blur to her and she constantly felt as though she was drowning. She shook her head.

"Let's try this, uh, Harley. What is your greatest dream? What is your desire? Don't say world peace or to have your daughter be happy. No clichés. No, no, what is your ultimate selfish longing that would make you happy? Hm?"

"To have my family back together.", she replied quickly.

He shook his head. "No, Harley, no. That isn't what I'm asking! That would not make you happy. You could have the perfect family and the white picket fence, but it still wouldn't make you happy. There are people out there married to the person of their dreams, but because their goals and aspirations weren't fulfilled, they are still turning to affairs, drugs, and any other vice to make them feel whole. No, what is something that you have always wanted, but because of circumstance, you were never able to get it?"

Harley thought for a long moment before she attempted to answer. "To become a professional gymnast?", she asked.

"Are you asking me?", he raised an eyebrow.

She paused again. "I always wanted to be a gymnast. A real one, you know? Other than spending time with… you, it was my only release. I didn't have to think about the things my dad did to me or if I would ever make it on my own. I didn't have any worries other than making a perfect landing."

"So then what happened? Why wasn't that dream fulfilled? ", he asked although he knew the answer.

"Well, life got in the way. I was never scouted during my scholarship at the university even though I was one of the best on the team. I wanted to be in the Olympics, you know? That would have been my ultimate dream."

"But things, ah, got in the way.", he echoed.

She nodded, "Well, yeah, school, internships, and… you."

He licked the corners of his mouth before continuing. "People, get in the way, Harley." He raised an eyebrow. "People and circumstances hinder you from reaching your full potential." He was spreading his fingers and waving his hands as he tried to explain. "Now, imagine a world where everyone got what they wanted, no matter what it was. If we didn't let life's obstacles get in our way, we could do whatever we wanted. If we didn't have to worry about paying the bills by going to jobs we hate or avoiding the things that would make us happy because if may offend the morals of others we could just be free.", he closed his eyes as he let the words fly out of his mouth as though he had spoken them thousands of times before and maybe he had. "I got in your way, Harley. You let me get in your way and you didn't do a thing about it. Why?"

"Because I love you.", she stated matter-of-factly.

"No, no, you love Jack, remember? Jack is gone and has been for a long time, but you cling to his, uh, ghost. But, maybe he was never real to begin with."

"What do you mean? I remember…" , she started.

"Harley, I always wanted you. I did everything in my power to obtain you."

"You're telling me that our entire relationship was an act just to get me?", she stated angrily.

"I'm saying maybe you should do some self-reflection and you will see that you've been with The Joker for as long as you were with Jack."

"Well, um, no. That isn't true.", she protested.

"Can you tell me when The Joker came into the picture, Harley? Pinpoint it for me." He said smugly.

She sighed. "It was…", she trailed off.

"Was it when I made a big explosion at Gotham General Hospital? No, no, that couldn't be it. Maybe it was earlier than that. Was it when I gave myself this lovely scar on my cheek?", he asked as he turned his head to the left. "Or was it when you gave me this one?", he asked as he turned his head to the right. "No, surely it was before that. Was it... the first time I killed a man? Gosh, Harley, when was that? Do you remember? It was so long ago", he asked with mock concern as he leaned in close to the edge of her desk.

Tears filled her eyes and she nodded. "It was on our first date."

"Hmm, maybe that was it. Or maybe it was even before that. Maybe it was when I was just a kid being manhandled by my old man. It's really hard to say, isn't it, Harl? It seems like maybe The Joker has been here all along and you fell in love with him, married him, had a child with him, and have been fighting to be with him all this time." He shrugged and leaned back against his chair.

The tears finally spilled over the rims of her eyes and she quickly blotted at them with a tissue.

"What does that mean?", she asked through a sob.

"I am ready to move forward. I'm ready to open people's eyes to all possibilities even though others try to stop me… especially a certain bat. But, I don't want to do it with a piece of me missing. I don't want to do it without my Harley Quinn.", he said in a quieter voice.

There was a knock at the door and the burly guard was soon unchaining The Joker from his chair. The guard gave Harley a strange look as she wiped another tear from her cheek. She watched as her husband was taken through the door and suddenly she was alone again.


	17. Chapter 17

"Mommy! Mommy! Look at me!", Lucy yelled from the swing she was sitting on as she furiously pumped her legs back and forth.

"Harley! Earth to Harley!", Pam said loudly as she nudged Harley's rib with her elbow. "Your daughter is trying to show you something."

Harley shook the fog from her brain as she scanned the park's play equipment before finding her bright eyed little girl waving frantically to her from the swingset. Harley waved back and smiled. "Great job, Luce!", she shouted.

"Where have you been lately?", Pam asked as the two women sat on a wooden bench facing the playground where dozens of kids were yelling and running.

"Hmm? Oh, just have a lot on my mind, I guess.", Harley replied.

"Is everything okay, Harl? You just don't seem like yourself lately. I mean I hardly see you eat and I know you don't sleep well because I hear the TV in the living room at night. It always seem like your body is present, but your mind is somewhere else."

"Do you think I could have gone to the Olympics, Pam? You've seen my routines way back in college. What do you think?", Harley asked as she now stared at her red-headed friend.

Pam was caught off guard as she turned to Harley. "The Olympics? Where is this coming from?"

Harley crossed her arms and looked back out to watch Lucy. "I just wonder how things could have turned out if I really went for it, you know? Maybe I just didn't put myself out there enough. Maybe I should have never even become a doctor. What's the point? No one is ever cured, their illness always comes back. Maybe people aren't meant to be fixed. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from people who think differently than us."

Pam scooted closer to Harley and took her hand. "Harley, honey, listen. You're making me nervous. I really hope that _he_ isn't getting to you. I told you that seeing him is a bad idea. What you are hoping to happen is just not a part of this reality." Harley squeezed Pam's hand and looked at her again as she anxiously chewed the thumbnail of her other hand. "I've been thinking that maybe we are ready for a change. You've come and done your weird experiment with your psycho husband and it didn't pan out. I have an offer in California for a research grant. I want you and Lucy to come with me. It's time for a fresh start, a real one, not a fake one like coming to Gotham."

"Pam-", Harley started before she was cut off again.

"Just listen. We would be right on the ocean in Newport Beach. There is a great private school for Lucy. She will just be getting into Kindergarten so it's the perfect time to transfer her out there. We will find you a fulfilling job at a private practice where you can help people who legitimately need it. I've already found a great house for us where we can walk to the beach." Pam wrapped her arm around Harley's shoulders and gently played with a strand of golden blonde hair. "I just think it would be the best thing for all of us, you know?"

"It sounds great, but, I'm not ready for that.", Harley said solemnly.

"Is it because of him?", Pam asked. Harley didn't answer, but her silence was enough.

Pam scoffed. "He's no _good_ for you, Harley! Let's hash this out, okay? Even if the monster was somehow rehabilitated, which would only happen if hell freezes over first, by the way, what would happen next? He's murdered countless people not to mention he's committed an endless number of felonies. He would never be released from prison, which is exactly where he would end up after being released from Arkham. You are never going to have a normal life with him. It's pointless and it's not fair to Lucy to have him as a father and you should know better than anyone how it feels to have a horrible father in your life." Harley wanted to cry, but instead she found herself becoming angry. "I found a lawyer. I didn't tell him the details, but he says that he can get you out of this marriage. Jack has abandoned you. He wouldn't fight for paternal rights for Lucy so that's an easy one. I set up a meeting for you to at least talk with him."

Harley turned to Pam in a huff. "You what?!", Harley shouted. In an instant she was on her feet and standing in front of Pam. Before she could stop herself she slapped Pam hard across her cheek. Pam's head whipped to the side and she slowly turned back to face the blonde. Both women were breathing heavily and they attracted the attention of several nearby parents. Harley's expression changed from hostile to sad when she realized exactly why her hand was stinging. "Pam, I'm sorry.", she apologized.

Pam held up her hand, but only pursed her lips together. She stood up and called for Lucy to come over. "I'm taking Lucy home with me. You need to go take a walk to calm down and rethink where you are headed because it doesn't look like you have any idea.", Pam said in a shaky voice.

Lucy bounded over to the two women, already complaining that she wasn't ready to leave yet. Pam took her small hand in her own and led her away from Harley as she spun a lie about how Harley had an appointment to go to. Lucy turned and gave a little wave to Harley as they walked out of her sight. Harley found herself without a car since Pam drove it home with Lucy. It wasn't long before she found herself wandering the streets of Midtown. She had no goal in mind, but she didn't feel ready to go back home yet and she wasn't sure she could ever face Pam again. She had never hurt anyone like that before. Not intentionally at least. She felt as though she had walked for miles although it couldn't have been longer than 45 minutes before she found herself outside the Gotham Royal Hotel.

It was a gorgeous hotel that she had always wanted to see the inside of. With no other plans in mind, she went ahead and strolled inside. The lobby was beautiful with walls lined with intricate fabric wallpaper, gold framed mirrors, and vases of all sorts holding red and white roses. There was a pianist playing at a Grand piano near the entrance. Harley walked around the white marble pillars and gazed at the expensive artwork.

"Ma'am? I can help you.", a handsome gentleman called out from behind the reception desk.

Harley looked around before realizing that he was calling to her. She stepped up to the desk to explain that she was just looking around when he began again. "How many nights will you be staying?" Before she could stop herself, she said, "Um, one?" He nodded and tapped at the keys on his computer. "I have a suite available for you at the rate of $899. May I have your license and a credit card?" Harley did not have that sort of money to waste, but she found herself digging out a credit card that Jack had opened in her name a while ago. She handed it and her license over to the man and before she knew it he was saying, "Have a great evening Ms. Napier" and he directed her to her room.

As she rode the elevator and walked through the elegant halls with plush carpet she wondered what had gotten into her.You're a grown woman Harley. If you want to stay in a fancy hotel, you should! _Why not?_ You want room service? _Order it!_ You want a bubble bath? _Take one!_ She had never touched a penny of Jack's money in the past. _Why shouldn't I? It's just sitting there in the bank. No one else is going to use it. It's just this once. I just need to clear my head tonight,_ she told herself. After finding her room and entering to see the California King bed and large windows overlooking Gotham's skyline she became giddy. The sun was just beginning to set and the sky was streaked with pink and orange. _Calm down, Harl. It's just a nice room. It's only one night. Why don't you just take a nice bath and relax before bed._

The oversized claw foot tub was calling her name. As she filled it to the brim with water and bubbles she stood naked, looking at her body in the full length mirror. She hadn't done gymnastics in years, but you wouldn't know that from looking at her. She was still thin, but quite curvy, especially after having Lucy. Her muscles remained toned even though they were neglected. She felt strong. Her body was what many would describe as flawless as long as long as they didn't look at her inner thighs. She had spent years carving up the skin there to give herself a sense of control. _Jack was right. I've always craved some sort of control. But that is obviously because my life was so unstable for so many years. Has it ever been stable?_ , she wondered. She had not brought any extra clothing with her to change into. She didn't even have a hairbrush. She rummaged through her purse to find some dried out mascara and a tube of lipstick she received as an Estee Lauder sample. She took the top off the lipstick revealing a vibrant red that she would have no need for. _There's only one person who can pull off this color,_ she chuckled to herself. She leaned in towards the mirror and smeared the lipstick across her pouty lips. She smacked them together and was surprised that it didn't look half bad. She smiled and stared a little longer before she was raising the tube back up and she smeared the lipstick further up onto her cheeks mimicking The Joker's Glasgow smile. She pulled back and looked at her reflection again. It doesn't look awful now, does it? She leaned in again and kissed the mirror leaving a red smudge on the foggy glass. After turning off the water to the tub she sunk in.

_Remember that dream you had, Harley?_

Yeah, the one where I looked like a jester with a bright red smile.

_Do you think that maybe it was a premonition?_

What? No, that's crazy. I could never get away with that.

_But do you want to? Harley?_

It was then that Harley realized that she wasn't just having a conversation with her own thoughts anymore, but that there was a different voice speaking to her. One that she had never noticed before.


	18. Chapter 18

Harley woke up naked in a sea of Egyptian cotton and white down-filled comforters to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Her hair was a tangled mess around her head and she dragged herself to the edge of the bed to answer the call. "He-hello?", her tired voice cracked.

"Harley? It's Joan. It's eleven o'clock and you aren't at work yet. Are you okay?", Joan asked in a concerned tone.

"What? It is? I'm so sorry, Joan. I must have slept in.", Harley said as she looked around the large hotel room. She had slept so hard that she had forgotten where she was. Suddenly she remembered how her palm had slapped against Pam's cheek and she felt sick to her stomach.

"I really think you need to come in. We need to talk about The Joker.", Joan replied.

"Um, okay. I'll be there as soon as I can.", Harley stated as she got off the phone. Her legs felt like pins and needles as she walked across the plush carpet to look at herself in the bathroom mirror. She still had the red lipstick smeared on her face. She quickly grabbed a bar of soap and began to scrub her face in the hopes that it wasn't stained. It seemed no matter how hard she rubbed, there was still a trace of redness that mimicked her husband's grin. She sighed and gave up for the time being. She kicked herself for being so unprepared, but managed to find a hair tie in her purse and she tossed her hair up into a bun and dug out her black rimmed glasses after popping out her dry contact lenses. She pulled on her clothing from yesterday, a pair of black trousers and a dark blue blouse. She was still tucking in the tails of her shirt as she made her way down to the lobby to hail a cab.

By the time she made it to work and was knocking on Joan's office door, it was near , two hours after her normal start time. Joan opened the door and greeted Harley. She gestured for her to take a seat across from her desk. Harley sat down with her mind racing about what Joan needed to talk about.

_She knows about your relationship._

_She wants to take him from you._

_She figured out your secret, Harley._

_What are you going to do about it?_

Harley's hands gripped the arms of the chair tightly as she tried to ward off the taunting voice in her head.

Joan sat down at her desk. "Are you okay, Harley? You seem a little disheveled. I really hope The Joker isn't getting to you. It's not like you to be late, you're usually here before any of the other doctors."

"I'm really sorry, Joan. I just didn't set my alarm this morning. I rushed out the door as fast as I could. Please don't take me off the case!", Harley responded becoming more panicked as she spoke.

"No, no, I'm not mad at all! We all get a little overwhelmed sometimes. You look a little flushed. I hope you aren't ill.", said Joan.

Harley shook her head and assured Joan that she was fine and it was simply from rushing into the office. After a few more minutes of making sure Harley was in fact okay, Joan continued. "I want to talk about The Joker. Something's happened."

_This is it! She's been assessing you since the moment you walked in the door._

_There are probably police officers on the other side of the door waiting to take you to Blackgate for harboring a criminal and being the accomplice of a mass murderer._

_T_ _hey are going to take you away from him._

Harley began to sweat and shifted in her seat as she waited for Joan to continue. Joan's desk phone rang and she apologized before taking the was mostly "uh-huh-ing" and "okay-ing" the person on the phone and she glanced at Harley a few times with an apologetic look. "No, she's here now. I was just about to fill her in and I'll send her down to you.", Joan said. It was all too much for Harley and as soon as the phone was back in its cradle, Harley stood up and loudly stated, "It's not what you think! I- I- can explain!" Joan looked taken aback and gripped the edge of her desk.

"Explain what, Harley? What's the matter?" Harley's breathing was quick and her legs felt like jelly. It was then that she realized maybe Joan wasn't on to her. "Um, it was the power. The, uh, power went out last night and reset my alarm." Harley sat back down and tried to regain her composure.

"Um, right, okay.", Joan replied. "Like I said, Harley, it's really alright. It happens to all of us. What I called you in here for, however, has nothing to do with your tardiness so you don't have to worry about that. I just wanted to fill you in on something that happened with The Joker last night since you are his doctor."

"Oh, okay.", Harley replied timidly.

"He was in the showers last night with several other inmates. He has been doing so well lately that I think the guards were a little too lenient with their supervision of him. Anyway, long story short, he stabbed Jonathan Crane with a toothbrush.", Joan stated flatly as she tossed her hands in the air.

"A, uh, toothbrush?", Harley asked. She felt relief sweep over her that their secret was still safe. She almost felt giddy and she stifled a giggle that begged to be released.

"Yes. It wasn't even sharpened. It was the blunt end of a toothbrush. Jonathan is fine, but he's been monitored all night. It appears that The Joker was trying to stab his carotid artery, but barely missed."

"Oh. That's awful. I _mean_ that Mister J would do that to Jonathan. Any idea what might have set him off?"

"Well, yes and that is what is most concerning to me. I didn't expect The Joker to _never_ harm anyone again, so that didn't come as much of a shock, but I'm concerned for _you_."

"Me?", Harley gasped.

"It was reported by one of the guards who was in the shower room with them that he overheard parts of their conversation prior to the attack. The guard thought it was typical banter between patients, but before he realized that it was escalating, The Joker had stabbed The Scarecrow. Jonathan had apparently been making comments about you and how he would like to have a _private session_ with you and that he wanted to get inside your 'pretty little head'. Apparently, The Joker took offense to this and that is when he became violent.", Joan reported.

"Oh well, I'm not offended. I've overheard talk from patients here and there about me. I think it's just because I'm young and have a pretty face. They get excited to have 'fresh meat'.", Harley explained nonchalantly.

"Sure, I understand that. I'm not necessarily worried about Crane. But I am concerned that The Joker would react that way in regards to the conversation. I'm thinking he might be a little obsessed with you, Harley.", Joan said worriedly.

"Obsessed with me? Joan, I think you're reading into this too much.", Harley chuckled.

"I hope I'm wrong for your sake, Harley. I really do. In my experience, it's never a good thing to become the object of a serial killer's obsession. I'd like to take you off the case, but I fear that would make the situation much worse and I'm not ready to put all of our staff at risk over a hunch."

Harley felt anxiety at the thought of being taken off the case and she would do just about anything to not let that happen. "Let me talk with him, Joan. I will find out what happened to set him off. I highly doubt that it was anything but a buildup of aggression where Jonathan was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I hope you're right. Go ahead and meet with him for your next session. That was the guard on shift I just spoke to. They are bringing him to the therapy room. No more sessions in your office until we figure out what's going on in regards to his _feelings_ for you. His extra activities have been removed from him yet again, but I don't believe it's much as a punishment and more of a reward for him to not have to attend his ancillary therapies.", Joan sighed.

Harley stifled a smile as she got up to head back to her office. "Um, Harley? Make sure you let me know if you need a day off, okay?" Harley nodded and waved goodbye as she exited Joan's office.

_That was a close one, Harley. You better pull it together._

I'm trying!

_You don't want them to take Mister J away from you which is exactly what they will do. You heard Joan. She wants to take you off his case and as soon as she thinks she can, she will._

Harley groaned at the thought of being taken away from him. She needed to see him now. A funny feeling was building in her core as she thought about him attacking another man for her. First it was the man at the concert when they were teens. Then it was her father, then there was Guy Kopski and now Jonathan Crane. He was so protective or was it possessive. She bit her lip and smiled to herself. He would do anything for her. It was at that moment she stopped in her tracks and she realized that she no longer saw her husband as two different entities. She wanted to see The Joker.


	19. Chapter 19

Harley was let into the therapy room once again. The Joker sat in his straightjacket as usual and it made Harley feel hopelessly sad to see him bound. He should be free. This isn't right at all, she thought to herself. His expression was unreadable and he only watched as she took a seat across from him. After a moment of silence he jerked his head to the door with a quick whistle. "Give us some space, Lenny.", he said and the guard quickly left the room without argument. Harley watched dumbfounded as the man walked out, leaving them alone. When she looked back to The Joker he was lifting the straightjacket over his head and stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders.

"He's, uh, on the payroll.", The Joker stated in regards to Lenny.

"Oh-", Harley started.

"I need you to, ah, be honest with me, Harley.", he lifted an eyebrow and his tongue darted out to wet a scar. "You know I'm a _jealous_ man. I don't like the thought of you flitting around other men, let alone staying the night with them."

Harley raised her hands in defense. "Mister J, if this is about Crane, you have nothing to worry about!", she exclaimed.

He began to laugh until he was near breathless which left Harley in a state of confusion.

"I don't understand.", she stated

"This isn't about _Crane_. I know you didn't go back to Pammy's last night. I also know that you stayed the entire night at the Gotham Royal Hotel. _Hm?_ Tell me I'm wrong.", he crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair.

"Oh, well, yes.", she stammered.

" _Yesssssss_?" Suddenly he was standing up and reaching across the table with his hand was wrapped around her neck. She struggled and clawed at his hands as air was just barely making it to her lungs. He pushed her up against the wall and she was standing on her tiptoes.

"Now tell me, _why_ would _my_ wife need to stay at a hotel when she has a perfectly nice apartment to go home to? I understand that you are sharing it with the world's most annoying vegan, but you don't normally seem to mind that part." His face got much closer to hers and their noses were almost touching.

"I just needed to get away.", she wheezed.

"Were you alone?", he growled.

"Yes! Please!", she pleaded as she held tightly onto his wrist in an attempt to loosen the grip.

He lowered her so that her feet were flat on the ground. He eyed her suspiciously. "I _will_ find out if you're lying and if I do, it won't. Be. Pretty.", he promised in a low voice.

She shook her head as she rubbed her neck. "I couldn't go home. I got really upset yesterday and I- I hit Pam.", she said cowardly.

"You hit Pam?", he giggled. "Oh Harl, you have no idea how much I'd have liked to see that."

"Yeah well, I shouldn't have done it. I'd take it back if I could.", she admitted.

"No, no, don't regret the things you've done. There was a reason you did it and it was _probably_ a good reason. I'm sure she deserved it.", he said as he walked back to the table in the center of the room and leaned against it with arms crossed. "Listen, _she_ would have done the same thing to _you_. People are all the same, Harley. With Pam, it would have been if you kicked her ficus or spit in her petunias. She would've, uh, turned on you eventually. It's all a matter of time and circumstance before people show who they really are.", he explained.

"Is that true? Does everyone turn on the ones they love?", she asked as she slowly walked toward him.

"It depends.", he stretched out his arm to take her hand. "It depends on how badly two people need each other. It takes dedication and, uh, _desire_. But if that desire ever runs out…", he trailed off and shrugged.

Harley reached her palm to touch the side of The Joker's face and her thumb caressed the deep canal of his scared left cheek. "Do you desire me?", she asked.

"It depends.", he said in a low voice as he put his hands on her hips, drawing her closer. "Are you dedicated to me?"

"Yes.", she said breathlessly.

"Then say my name. _Say it_.", he demanded and his hand was gripping her chin and his thumb was caressing the faded red lipstick Glasgow smile that was barely visible. "Say. It."

"I'm dedicated to you, Joker. I've always been dedicated to you."

His lips crashed into hers and he was kissing her like they did when they were young. He spun her around and lifted her onto the cold metal table. She was overwhelmed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to stabilize herself. His lips moved to her neck and his hands moved under her blouse, caressing her back. He rested his forehead against hers as he breathed heavily.

"Prove it.", he stated.

"Anything.", she whispered. "I'd do anything."

"Bruce Wayne. Bring him to me."

She knitted her eyebrows. "Why do you want to see Bruce? How do you know him?", she questioned.

"It doesn't matter why I want to see him. We go _way_ back and he is overdue for a visit. From what I've been told, Brucey is the one that recommended you to come work here, hm? I'd like to _personally_ thank him.", he replied.

"But, you told me to stay away from him.", she retorted.

The Joker sighed, "Harley, sometimes things change.", he stated as he pointed a finger in her face. "What matters is what I am telling you now. I don't care how you get him here, but I want him here soon. Got it?"

"Do you have people watching me?", she asked.

He pulled back to look at here clearly in the eyes. "I've _always_ had eyes on you."

Harley gave a small nod and then his lips were on hers again and she was swooning. Soon his hands were unbuttoning her blouse and it took everything in her to pull away and speak. "So, if I bring you Bruce… does that mean we can be together?"

"If you bring me Bruce, we will pick up right where we left off. If you don't bring me Bruce… well, I'll know that you aren't as dedicated to me as you said you are and I don't appreciate liars. Understand?", he asked as he tossed her blouse behind him.

She nodded and pushed the thought out of her head for the time being as he laid her back on the table and crawled on top of her all the while he was unzipping his Arkham-issued jumpsuit.

After their session was over, Harley was shoving her mess of blonde hair back into its bun and Lenny came in to put The Joker bak in his straightjacket before returning him to his cell. Harley noticed that Lenny didn't even look at her as he led The Joker out.

Just as Harley reached her office door once again, she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Joan briskly walking toward her.

"Yes, Joan?", Harley asked as she tried to remain composed.

"Harley, I have not been receiving the tapes from your sessions. I'm very interested in following up on your progress with The Joker."

The truth was that Harley had not been recording since they were able to meet alone. She hadn't actually done any documenting whatsoever.

She thought quickly before saying, "Oh, silly me. My tape recorder seems to have broken. I haven't been able to use it! I keep forgetting to get a new one."

"Well I think that should be a priority. These sessions need to be thoroughly documented not just for any litigation against him, but for future studies. I will settle for your progress notes. Make sure you e-mail them to me by the end of the day."

"Oh, hmm, okay.", Harley replied.

Joan continued down the hall giving Harley one last concerned look over her shoulder as she disappeared around the corner. Harley slinked back inside her office and collapsed in her chair. She gently touched her lips where she could still feel where The Joker's scars were crashing into her mouth. Suddenly she felt flush all over.

_He wants you again, Harley! You're so lucky._

_You just have to bring Bruce down to Arkham for a visit. That shouldn't be so hard. He is on the Board of Directors after all._

She looked over to the dying bouquet of roses from Bruce that she had shoved in the corner of her office. She walked over and read the note again, "…I'd love to take you out…". She dug through her purse to find the business card he gave her when they first met and she dialed the number on the back.

The phone rang and she felt excitement build in her stomach.

"Bruce Wayne.", he answered.

"Hi Bruce. It's Harley Quinzel."

There was a second of silence before he spoke again. "Hey, I'm surprised you called."

"I hope it's okay."

"Of course, of course. How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if your offer still stood and we could grab some coffee sometime."

"Of course. I know a great place, I'll text you the address. How about we meet for lunch in half an hour if you aren't too busy?"

"Not too busy for you. Sounds perfect."

They got off the phone and Harley stared at the blank Word document on her computer.

_Joan won't mind you leaving early. I mean, Bruce is on the Board of Directors! He's practically your boss._

Harley nodded to herself before grabbing her jacket and purse and quickly exiting the building.


	20. Chapter 20

On the morning of Harley's eighteenth birthday she wasn't expecting it would be her wedding day. Sure, she and Jack wanted to get married, but nothing was set in stone. He was tired of the drive from Gotham where he was working as a mechanic to Ms Pat's house whenever he had the opportunity. The two young lovebirds wanted nothing but to be together.

The sound of heavy rain had lulled Harley off to sleep the night before and it continued on throughout her slumber. There was the sound of rain tapping against the window and the sound of soft snoring coming from the other side of the room where her roommate Lacy slept. Harley and Lacy never got along well mostly due to Lacy's insecurities, but they were able to tolerate each other well enough.

"Harley…", a voice whispered close to her ear. "Harleeeey…", it went again.

Harley opened her eyes to see that the bedroom was still quite dark and the alarm clock's red numbers showed it to be six AM. She rubbed her eyes and turned her head to see a shadow crouching down next to her. Startled, she let out a shriek before a hand clamped down on her mouth.

"Shhh, shhh, it's me, baby, it's Jack.", he whispered.

Lacy's snoring stopped, but started again and the girl rolled over to face the wall. Jack crawled in bed with Harley who was trying to calm her racing heart.

"Jack, are you crazy? You about gave me a heart attack!", she hissed at him. "What are you doing here? If Ms Pat knew you were in my room, she'd freak."

"Happy birthday.", he said sounding nearly giddy. He cozied up to her warm body under the covers and she began to relax again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he buried his face in her hair. "Marry me, Harl.", he groaned in her ear as he played with the hem of her night shirt.

"You know I will.", she cooed back rolling over pressing her body flush to his chest.

"No. Today. Let's get married today.", he said before he started kissing her shoulder.

"Today? How?", she asked.

His head popped up. "I've got it all taken care of. All you need to do is put on something nice and come with me. Don't worry about a thing.", he assured.

"Jack, we can't just run off and get married like this.", she protested.

"Why not?", he asked as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"That's just not how things are done! We don't have a place to live and I don't even have a dress. University starts next month.", she replied.

"Listen, just because other people do things differently, doesn't mean what we want to do is wrong. You want to marry me?", he asked.

She looked him in his brown eyes and saw her future unfold before her. She saw city life, children, a fulfilling career, and best of all she saw spending a lifetime with the man she loved. He made her laugh and dried her tears. He protected her and understood her fears. He meant more to her than anything in her life and she wanted nothing more than to marry him right then.

She gave Jack a big smile and nodded. He tackled her into the bed and peppered her lips and neck with kisses and she stifled her giggles as to not wake up the rest of the house. The sun was finally coming up and orange light began to fill the room. Jack reached into the pocket of his black jeans and pulled out a small box.

He looked at her sheepishly as he placed it in her hand. "It's not much, Harley. I don't have much to offer you, yet. If you want, I'll get you a huge rock on our tenth anniversary. Open it."

She couldn't stop grinning and her fingers were shaking as she pried the cheap ring box open. The band was gold and feminine. There was no diamond, but instead a small red heart-shaped garnet.

"Now you will _always_ have my heart.", he said before he chuckled at how cheesy he sounded and he buried his head in the pillow when he felt a red hue creep onto his face.

* * *

Currently, Harley was sitting in the coffee shop that Bruce had recommended lightly rubbing her ring finger. Where she once had worn her wedding ring there was only a slight tan line. She had taken the ring off a long while ago. She wasn't sure why, but she wished she had it back now.

She took a sip of her vanilla cappuccino just as Bruce pulled out the chair across from her to take a seat. "Sorry, I was late. I couldn't find a parking spot to save my life."

"Not a problem.", she smiled.

After adjusting is suitcoat and setting his cup on the small bistro table he asked, "So, Doctor, how are things at Arkham? How is… The Joker fairing under your therapeutic hand?" He took a sip from his tall black coffee.

"I really do want to thank you for your reference, Bruce. Arkham has been exactly what I needed. I've enjoyed meeting with The Joker, actually. That may surprise you, but he is a very interesting case."

"Interesting isn't the word I would have used, but I believe I understand what you mean.", said Bruce.

"Have you ever met him before?", she asked.

Bruce hesitated for a moment. "I came close. He crashed a fundraiser I was hosting for Harvey Dent. Actually, he threw a dear friend of mine out of the window of an 8 story building.", Bruce said while raising his eyebrows.

"Eight stories, wow. Was she… is she okay?", Harley asked.

"Thankfully _Batman_ happened to be at the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, The Joker still managed to murder her not long after.", Bruce said solemnly.

 _Don't feel bad Harley, remember what J said about hitting Pam? She probably deserved it._ , the voice inside Harley's head reminded her.

Harley looked down at her coffee and then back up to Bruce who was looking as though he would rather be anywhere else at that moment. "I'm terribly sorry, Bruce." Harley reached her hand towards his and gave a gentle pat.

Bruce looked back to her. "Thank you. I didn't mean to bring down the mood, but it can be difficult to remember Rachel. I am relieved that The Joker is in Arkham though I fear that he may not be there much longer."

"Why is that?", Harley asked.

"Well he is always a step or two or three ahead of everyone else it seems. He has a lot of people working for him all over this city. People in the precinct, the mob, even at Arkham, I'm sure. No, I don't think that even Arkham Asylum can hold The Joker for long. In fact I'm surprised he is still there now. Does he ever seem as though he is eager to leave?", Bruce asked.

Harley thought for a moment. She wasn't sure how much she should tell Bruce. _Tell him whatever you need to in order to get him to the asylum. J is counting on you, Harley. Don't disappoint him._

"Well, now that you mention it, he has sort of talked about how Arkham has been breaking down. You know, the place is not quite up to date on its security measures.", Harley shrugged.

Bruce gave her a skeptical look. "Well I doubt that, Harley. If there is one thing Arkham has done with my investments, it's make sure that place is equipped with every bell and whistle it needs to keep the criminally insane at bay for as long as possible."

"Oh, well, if you say so.", Harley said nonchalantly. "I'm just telling you what _he_ said about it."

Bruce sat back and considered her words. He looked at his watch. _Rolex_ , Harley scoffed internally. "You know I've got a meeting I need to get to soon. What do you say about dinner? I own a couple of restaurants in midtown that I need to check on anyway and I hate to eat alone. I will send a car to pick you up.", he suggested.

Harley thought for a moment before replying. _J said he didn't care how you do it. Get on Brucey's good side and see where it takes you…_

Harley nodded, "Well yes, that sounds lovely. Oh, um, Bruce. You said that The Joker crashed _your_ fundraiser?"

"That's right."

"Well, if you were the host… where were you when he arrived?", she asked, genuinely curious.

Bruce smiled as he took another sip of coffee. "The restroom.", he shrugged.

"Oh…", replied Harley.


	21. Chapter 21

Harley never made it back to Arkham after her coffee date with Bruce. Instead she went back to Pam's apartment to find something decent to wear to dinner. She didn't own anything date-worthy considering she hadn't been out on any dates in years. She sat her purse on the kitchen table and searched through it to find her phone. She had 3 missed calls from Arkham and 7 from Pam. Harley rolled her eyes. _Just tell Joan you went home suddenly ill. She can't get upset at you for that._ Harley connected her phone to the charger and went to Pam's closet. After tossing every single one of Pam's formal dresses on the bed, she began trying them on one by one. Pam was taller than Harley by about four inches and bigger busted. She threw the dresses that were too long or too ill-fitting on the bed in a heap. 

The apartment door opened and Harley heard Lucy's happy voice echo off the apartment walls. "Mommy? Mommy?" When Harley looked up from rummaging through a pile of heels and stilletos, Lucy was standing in the doorway of Pam's bedroom. "Mommy!" The little girl bounded over to Harley and leapt into her arms. Harley squealed and gave Lucy a kiss. "Mommy, I missed you!", Lucy cooed as she buried her face in Harley's neck. Harley sat on the bed and petted her daughter's hair.

Harley pulled back and smiled. "I have a secret.", she whispered.

"You do? What's the secret?", Lucy whispered back.

"We are going to go live with daddy soon. Would you like that, Lucy?"

"Yes!", Lucy shouted and she began to bounce on Harley's lap.

"Harley? What's going on?", Pam asked with a concern marking her brows as she stood in the bedroom doorway. "Lucy, honey, go play in your room, please. Mommy and I need to talk.", Pam said as the little girl reluctantly slid off her mother's lap and left the room.

Pam closed the door behind her and then stood staring daggers at her friend with hands on her hips. "What is going on here? Where have you been? Why are you digging through my closet? And what are you telling, Lucy about living with Jack?", Pam said as she started toward the blonde.

Harley stood up and looked back down at the heap of sequined dresses and mounds of silk and she grabbed a strapless red and form fitting dress and began to shimmy into it.

"Harley, answer me!", Pam shouted. "What's gotten into you.", she said a little quieter for Lucy's sake although she wanted to grab Harley and shake her until she answered.

"I've got a date tonight.", Harley replied.

Pam gave an empty chuckle. "A date? With who?"

"Bruce Wayne."

"Where did this come from? Is that who you stayed with last night?", Pam questioned.

"No.", Harley said quickly.

"Then where were you?"

"I didn't think you wanted me around anyway and I needed to clear my head."

"Harley, you have a daughter. She was worried sick about you. You ignored my calls.", Pam threw up her hands. "You didn't say where you were going."

Harley sighed, "I knew she would be fine with you. I wasn't worried about it."

"Of course she's fine with me, I love her. But I'm not the one that is supposed to be tucking her in at night or lying to her telling her that mommy was working late. I am not supposed to be the one packing her lunch and dropping her off at preschool."

Harley scoffed, "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought as my _best friend_ you wouldn't mind doing me a little favor. My bad, Pam!", Harley snarked back. 

"Oh are we friends? Because last I checked, friends don't slap each other in the middle of a park when they are trying to be helpful!", Pam was having a hard time keeping her voice level. "And by the way, you look like crap, Harley! Look at you, your hair is a disaster, your makeup is smudged. You've lost about 10 pounds in the last month. Have you been going to work like this?"

Harley shrugged and touched her hair before reaching behind herself and zipping up the dress. She turned to look in the full length mirror and smiled.

"Do I look pretty, Pam?", Harley asked.

"Are you even listening to me? What was that you said to Lucy about going to live with Jack, huh? That doesn't make any sense. Why would you say that to her?"

Harley's eyes shot to Pam's in the reflection of the mirror. "Mind your own business, Pam."

"Is that what he's been telling you? He told you that he would run away with you and you would be a family? If you believe that, you are so stupid, Harley. Why can't you see that he is lying to you? He doesn't care about you."

Harley covered her ears and yelled, "Shut up! Shut _up_!"

Pam's eyes grew large and she shook her head. Tears formed in her eyes and she closed in on her friend. She touched Harley's elbows and brought her hands from her ears. "Harley, listen to me. I don't know why he is saying these things to you. I don't know what's changed. You have to know that there is not a chance in hell you can live a normal life with him. He is not going to be any different. There is no life for Lucy with him. It's just not going to work."

Harley's tears spilled out of her eyes and she wiped her nose on the back of her hand. "You don't understand, Pam. J and I are meant to be together. He wants me and I want him."

"Then why are you going on a date with Bruce Wayne?", Pam said as she pulled back, but kept her hands are Harley's shoulders.

Harley sniffled again and giggled. "Doesn't make much sense, huh?", she asked Pam.

Pam slowly shook her head with a concerned expression. "No, no it really doesn't."

Harley reached up and adjusted her breasts under the tight neckline before pushing past Pam and heading into the bathroom. She began to rake a brush through her hair and flinched every time she came to a snarl.

"Maybe you should talk to someone, you know? I've heard of lots of psychiatrists needing to talk to their own therapist. It's a lot to hear about other's people's problems all day. I think it's really affecting you."

"I've never felt better.", Harley shrugged. She let her hair fall in waves past her shoulders and she began to wash off her old makeup before reapplying new. She dug through Pam's makeup bag and found some mascara and lipstick.

"Harley, you aren't thinking about letting The Joker out of Arkham, are you?", Pam asked nervously.

Harley laughed, "Silly, Pammy! J doesn't need my help. If he wanted out, he'd be out. Arkham security is a joke. He wants to be there. He likes to see me for our sessions."

"What do you guys talk about during your sessions?"

Harley giggled to herself and started applying the lipstick. "Sometimes, we don't talk much at all."

"What are you doing?", Pam said suddenly and she snatched the lipstick out of Harley's hand. Harley looked at the mirror and realized that she had once again smeared lipstick up the sides of her cheeks in an imitation Glasgow smile.

"Oopsie!", she giggled. "I keep doing that." After wiping away the excess redness with a makeup remover pad, she attempted to leave the bathroom, but Pam blocked her way.

"Just move Pam. My ride is going to be here soon.", Harley demanded.

"I think you need to stay home tonight. Lucy has really missed you. We need you here.", Pam pleaded.

"No, I really need to go out! Get out of my way!", Harley shouted.

"You're acting insane, Harley! What has happened to you? What has _he_ done to you?"

"You will never understand, Pam! You've never been in love before. You will never get it!", Harley said as she pushed Pam.

"That's not true and you know it! Pam put her hands on either side of Harley's face, cradling her jaw. "I love _you_ , you idiot!", Pam said frantically. 

Harley took a step back and looked up at her friend in shock.

"Oh like you didn't know that.", Pam said angrily and dropped her hands back to her side. 

"Well, no I didn't know that. But, it's pointless anyway because my heart belongs to The Joker. Now get out of my way so I can go on my date with Bruce." With one final shove, Harley walked past Pam and into the living room. She bent down to Lucy who was brushing her doll's hair and watching a cartoon. "Don't worry sweetie. Mommy will be back soon.", she gave her a kiss before heading down to the lobby of the apartment complex.


	22. Chapter 22

Currently, The Joker was sitting on the floor of his cell with his back against the metal frame of his cot. The cells in Arkham alone were enough to make the average person lose their mind. There was nothing but creamy cinderblock walls, cement floor and a steel door. All surroundings were completely void of color or personality. Oh and the fluorescent lighting, the awful lighting that would cast strange shadows and flicker until they were shut off for the night. The only piece of furniture in his cell was the bed and they didn't even provide a sheet. Apparently too many people had used the bedding to hang themselves. _Pity_. The Joker was adaptable though. When he couldn't be out running amuck, he used the time at Arkham to consider new ways of hassling the Batman. He meditated on his intentions. He did not consider himself a schemer. No, he worked better under pressure. Things never turned out like they should when you put too much thought into them. He had spent enough time in isolation this time. He was ready to play.

He received the usual knock on his door at seven o'clock that evening and the thin slot along the floor was opened and his meal tray was pushed through. There was one more rat-a-tat which meant that there was something special this time and it wasn't just the chocolate pudding. Good ol' Lenny had been such a good little pet this time around. The Joker got to his knees and crawled over to the divided tray. _Let's see, sloppy Salisbury steak, crumbly mashed potatoes, brownish corn. Nothing extra-ordinary there._ He picked up the rolled up napkin which was new. They didn't let him use even a spoon out of fear that it would become a deadly weapon; which it _would_. He picked up the thin white paper which was actually quite heavy and as he unrolled it a rusted potato peeler fell into his hand. _Oh, you're a good boy, Lenny._ His tongue darted out to lick the corners of his scarred mouth as he eyed the peeler and touched the tip. It was quite dull, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be _helpful_.

He eyed his plate and although he didn't normally have much of an appetite, he thought he would indulge in the chocolate pudding. He picked up the small paper bowl and brought it back to his cot. He laid down and slowly slurped the rich tasting dessert. He spun the potato peeler between his fingers gracefully.

My, my things had taken quite a turn, hadn't they? Life was certainly full of surprises, which he _delighted_ in. Here he entered into Arkham, _alone,_ and would be leaving with his _other half._ It is true that he could have disposed of Harleen Quinzel at any point and life would have been simpler. He didn't like to admit it to himself, but she was on his mind more than he would have liked. He had been relieved when she asked for further protection all those years ago. He had already been considering sending her to live somewhere rural, away from the madness of Gotham. He found that he felt much more free to do what needed to be done without the thought of her getting in the way. _She_ found it much easier to believe that he was still the same man she fell in love with when his antics weren't thrusted in her face. It was a _win-win_.

Did he ever love her? She loved him, that was a given. She loved him no matter what he had done. What he felt for her was deeper than love though. It was a _need_. He needed her because for whatever reason she made him feel grounded which was important in his line of work. He didn't need her in the sense that she made him a _better person_ or that he wanted to grow old with her. He didn't expect to grow old at all. No, he needed her because she filled all his _empty_ spots. Examining her made him see humanity a little clearer which was something he had struggled with understanding his entire life. She was so _encouraging_ even though she didn't realize it. She was the one who helped him cover his first murder. In fact, he only murdered because of her. She was the one who gave him his first scar; the mark that would spark fear in the people of Gotham. She was supportive of him entering the mob world at a young age and working for one of the biggest bosses in the city. And she never said a word about any of their secrets to anyone. Except she did divulge to the infuriating Pamela Isley, but he supposed Harley was allowed _one_ outlet. Pam knew she had to behave or Harley would face the consequences.

He licked the pudding cup clean before crumpling it up and tossing it at the wall behind him. He rolled off the bed and slid his hand under his thin foam mattress and searched around until he felt the metal tins. He pulled out three small circular containers of white, black and red greasepaint. He itched to feel the cakey makeup on his face once again. It's not that he felt vulnerable without it, but he had grown accustomed to having it on. He felt more like himself with it. He appreciated the way people looked at him when his face was pale white and his eyes pitch black and his lips red like blood. Although, it was always a treat for people to see him with his "normal" face for the first time. The way that they tried to pretend that they weren't starring was always _so funny_.

He unscrewed the tin of white and dipped his fingers in the silky paint and started to rub it across his forehead and the bridge of his nose.

Harley would be joining him very soon. That is, if she was able to complete her first mission in bringing Bruce Wayne to the asylum with her. She was descending a lot faster than he had hoped. Watching the woman spiral into madness was a real hoot. He had been waiting for so long for her to come down to his level. He knew she would someday. Harley liked to pretend that she had it all together, but he had been watching her crack for years. She had always been broken which is probably why he was so drawn to her in the first place. She was just like him. All it took was some time together for her walls to all come crashing down. He didn't feel as uncomfortable with the thought of having her by his side now that she was becoming her _true_ self. She wasn't so _innocent_ anymore. He was fulfilling his calling and now she would be fulfilling hers by becoming the rightful Clown Princess. Sure, it would be a learning curve. She would definitely have to get used to the not-so-extravagant living arrangements. She would be surrounded by numbskulls that would be drooling all over her not just because she was a woman, but because she was a _beautiful_ woman. She would need to learn to defend herself.

After his face was painted thoroughly white, he began smudging the black paint around his eyes. It was a little tricky without a mirror, but he had done it enough times to do it well enough by memory.

He knew it wouldn't be long before Harley brought him Bruce. She would do anything for The Joker at this point now that she saw it was _him_ she truly wanted. Now that she understood just who he was. He didn't have any immediate plans for Brucey, but he thought it would be a riot for him to come for a visit and to see just what he was capable of doing to such an upstanding woman as Harley… and in his own asylum too. Was The Joker certain that Bruce Wayne was the Batman? No, he wasn't. But he thought it was a possibility. Either way, it didn't really matter who the Batman was. He just thought it was real funny to taunt the playboy millionaire. Bruce was quite opposite of The Joker. He was born into a lavish lifestyle. His name was plastered all over Gotham as a bleeding heart humanitarian. He gave more money to the people than anyone else. He was just so _good_.

He giggled to himself as he finally opened the tin of red and smeared it all over his lips and scars. When he was done he stood up and walked back to the door where he whistled a quick tune. It wasn't long before Lenny, the guard on duty was on the other side of the steel door, looking through the small window at The Joker.

"Yes, sir?", Lenny asked.

"Lenny, do me a favor, hm? Round up the boys and tell them that I'll be coming home soon. Oh, and I won't be _alone_.", The Joker said with a smile.


	23. Chapter 23

_Who does Pam think she is? She can't just tell me she loves me out of the blue like that. I don't think of her that way! I'm in love with Jack- er, J. I'm a married woman!_ , Harley thought to herself after storming out of Pam's apartment. She took the elevator to the lower level of the apartment building. The lobby was modest, but clean and had a modern aesthetic. At first Harley plopped herself on a white loveseat that was much harder than anyone would want in their own living room. She placed one slender leg over the other revealing a milky white thigh through the slit of the sparkly red dress. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes on the Mondrian knockoff canvas artwork hanging across the room.

She noted that she had gotten quite worked up and decided that she needed to calm down if she was going to focus on her date with Bruce. She still had no plan on how she was going to get him to Arkham to see J. Her lack of strategy concerned her somewhat, but she felt as though she worked well under pressure. She felt her phone buzz in her purse which she had tossed haphazardly on the seat next to her. She unzipped the small bag and glanced down to see a notification that Pam had texted her saying in so many words that she was sorry and wanted Harley to come back up and talk. Harley huffed and rolled her eyes and shoved her phone back inside her purse and zipped it back up with so much force the zipper almost popped off.

It was just after seven o' clock and the doorman had been watching the frazzled blonde woman pace his quiet lobby for the past twenty minutes. She seemed to be muttering to herself although he couldn't quite catch what she was saying. He was just about to ask if she needed anything, but before he could another older gentleman wearing an expensive suit and a black cap let himself in through the lobby doors. Harley didn't notice at first until the man was only a couple of feet away.

"Ms Quinzel?", the man asked.

Harley was lost in thought and it took the man giving her bare shoulder a gentle tap before she spun around to look him in the eye. She was startled at first but once he explained that he was sent by Bruce to take her to the restaurant, her eyes softened and she gave an apologetic smile. She followed the man out to the black Cadillac that was idling at the curb. He opened the back door for her to slide in and once he closed the door, the silence rang in her ears. Only seconds later was the man letting himself in the driver's seat and starting the car.

The drive through midtown was uneventful although the sidewalks were busy as was typical on a Gotham. As they neared their destination, Harley was able to see Arkham sitting on its small island across the Gotham River. There was always a bit of mist rising from the water which gave the old building an eerie appearance. The sun was beginning to set, casting orange rays through the spaces between the tall buildings forcing Harley too look away from the blinding light.

Her mind began to sift through all the possible plans and outcomes for the night. She considered asking Bruce to come stargazing with her on Arkham's roof, away from the city lights. She thought about asking him to come check out the shoddy security system for himself to see that it could use a bit of updating. She decided on feigning forgetfulness and telling him that she forgot something very important at the office and would ask if he would be a gentleman and escort her to the dark island. Before she could come up with any other brilliant ideas, the car came to a slow stop just outside a beautiful white stone building with tall glass windows. Her door was opened and the driver was offering a hand to help Harley out of the car. She thanked him for the ride and as she turned toward the entrance of the French restaurant she was greeted by Bruce.

"You look lovely, Doctor Quinzel.", Bruce greeted as he cupped her bent elbow in his palm. He led her up the three stone steps that brought them into the restaurant.

"Oh, thanks Bruce.", she replied. "You look very handsome yourself." And he did. He was dressed in an expensive Armani suit the color of dark navy. His hair was slicked back and the smell of his cologne would have been alluring to most anyone, but Harley found it a bit overwhelming. The pair was greeted quickly by a host speaking French and Bruce replied back without any hesitation. They were seated near the front of the room at a small round table for two in front of one of the large windows overlooking the street. The dishes, napkins, and tablecloth were white. The chairs were a dark mahogany, but rather small and not overly comfortable.

Harley was eyeing the room and the people wearing their nicest attire for their dates. Wine was being consumed, rare steaks were being cut apart, and light music could be heard just barely over the quiet chatter and stifled laughs from the other patrons.

"…Harley?" She heard her name and her eyes were drawn back to the attractive man across the able. She realized that she had been ignoring her date. _Don't be rude._ "I'm sorry, Bruce. This place is just so beautiful. You own it, you say?", she asked trying to muster as much interest as her busy mind could.

"I do. One of the perks of having so many business ventures is the food." he said as he leaned in as though telling her something secret. He slowly inched the small menu across the table toward her. She picked up the menu and looked over the foreign words. She slyly glanced over the top at Bruce who was eyeing the menu himself before quickly coming to a decision. Their eyes met and he smiled. "Mind if I make a recommendation?", he asked. "The confit de canard is amazing. You like duck?"

Harley shrugged, "Can't say I've ever had it, but I'm willing to give anything a try."

The waiter attended to them and poured their wine. Bruce ordered for them both and then they were left to themselves. Harley's wineglass seemed to be glued to her hand as she took sip after sip. The sun was almost gone and the city lights were the sole source of illumination outside the restaurant.

Bruce was the first to break the awkward silence. "So, Doctor, I've heard how The Joker has been doing, but how are _you_ doing with him? I imagine that spending day after day in that place with a man of such strong delusion must be exhausting for you."

Harley thought for a moment before she spoke. "I wouldn't say he is necessarily _delusional_. He has strong ideas that scare people, yes, but that doesn't mean that his beliefs aren't valid."

Bruce slightly cocked his head and pursed his lips. "Are you saying that you can understand where he is coming from? That his theories about the _reign of chaos_ in our world have some validity?", he asked skeptically.

Harley took another sip of her red wine and placed it centered on a small square napkin. "Well, think about it. I have this glass of wine. Well, I did have this glass of wine." She reached across the table and grabbed Bruce's mostly filled glass and dumped the rest of it in her nearly empty glass. She winked at him to assure him that this was very necessary. "So now here we have this wine. It's sitting neatly in its protected glass. It's still and calm, no bubbles, nothing. However, aside from the fragile glass, there isn't anything to protect it, to keep it from spilling out and ruining this beautiful linen on the table. This wine feels safe, but it's _naïve_. Outside forces can affect it and there is nothing it can do. Something could come along and knock the glass over, make it topple to the ground. Something could land in it, splashing out part of the wine. Someone could… come along and drink it.", she took a deep gulp before placing it back on the table. "The thing is Bruce, we are the wine, Gotham is our glass. Anything can come along and destroy us and we are all just living our lives assuming we will make it to the end and be given a big gold medal to congratulate us on a job well done."

Bruce looked as though he was struggling to grasp her strange metaphor. "So you're saying that… we should be living in fear of some unknown catastrophe? Is that somehow better than living a life where you assume the best?", he asked.

"No, not at all. I'm saying… well what I believe The Joker is trying to show the people of Gotham is that we should be living without limits. We shouldn't be living in fear, but we should not be naïve enough to think that we are all going to finish this race together and that everything is going to be _a-okay_. When it comes down to it, Bruce, and this is important," she tapped the tip of her index table against the table, "when it comes down to it, everything can be taken away in an instant.", she snapped her fingers. "This is all there is and if you aren't living the life you want, the life you _desire_ because you are trying to be safe… then what's the point at all? The Joker says that 'chaos is fair' and that's true.", she now pointed her finger toward Bruce. She was getting more and more animated as she spoke. "He calls the outside forces 'chaos'. Chaos is what decides who lives and dies, who is rich and poor, who lives long and who dies young. He respects the chaos and in return, he is the _hand_ of chaos. You see what I mean?"

"I think it's all a bit convoluted, if you ask me.", Bruce replied as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Their meals were brought to the table and when the waiter asked if they would like their glasses refilled, Bruce held up a hand and gently shook his head. The pair began cutting up their entrees and scooting their salads around on their plates.

"You don't… you don't respect those opinions, do you?", Bruce asked curiously without giving Harley much eye contact.

After a moment, Harley shrugged as she popped a potato into her mouth and sighed. "I think, that there are many schools of thought out there and who am I to make a judgement on who is right and who is wrong? We're all just trying to make sense out of why the world works the way it does. From what I can tell, when it comes down to it… when everything is stripped away like all of our societal norms and manmade laws, we're all pretty much the same. I'm no better than the bum down the street asking for handouts or the sex worker advertising her services to wealthy business men. Some of us have just been dealt a better hand."

Bruce found he was no longer very hungry and sat his fork back on its napkin and watched Harley as she broke apart a bread roll into several small pieces. He found that the words she was saying sounded too familiar. He had heard much of this from The Joker himself and he found that he was feeling angry. He was angry because Harley was a bright and beautiful woman who was falling under the spell of a madman. She tried to make it sound like she was just regurgitating what she had heard in their sessions, but he could see past that façade and he knew she believed it too. He felt responsible in some way because he had been the one who told her about the position at Arkham and talked to Joan personally about having Harley work there. He should have known better.

"One last question, doctor.", Bruce suddenly said as he broke the awkward silence. Harley peered up to him from the bread massacre on her soiled plate. "After all this time you have spent with The Joker now, do you believe he can be rehabilitated?"

Did she believe he could be rehabilitated? She turned the question over in her head. Her brain was feeling muddy now. It was hard to distinguish the right words to say. Between what Doctor Quinzel should say and what the new Harley would say, she was feeling lost. She didn't really believe he needed to be rehabilitated. Everyone _else_ needed to be rehabilitated, but J was the only sane one now and she longed to be on his plane as well. "I think that's a hard question to answer right now.", she replied as she dropped some of the crumbled bread back on her plate.

"Right.", he nodded. "Please excuse me doctor, I've got to run to the restroom and then maybe we'll talk dessert."

As Bruce excused himself from the table Harley reached for her purse. She thought she would see several missed calls from Pam begging her to come home, but there was nothing. Not even any text messages.

Bruce found a private room mostly used for small events that was unoccupied and he closed himself inside. He pulled out his cellphone and made the call he felt he had no choice but to make.

"Hi, this is Joan.", the voice said on the other side.

"Joan, it's Bruce Wayne."

"Oh hi, Mr Wayne. How is everything?"

"Um, listen, I've been talking with Doctor Quinzel and I'm honestly a bit concerned for her wellbeing, mainly her mental state."

Joan was silent on the other end of the phone before she sighed. "Unfortunately I've had some concerns as well. I'm worried that The Joker has gotten to her like he has many of his past doctors."

"I agree. I'm wondering if there is some sort of protocol for her to get a mental status assessment. I think the sooner the better especially with her asylum credentials. I worry that she may help him to escape."

"You think she would do that?", Joan asked concerned.

"I don't know what to think, but I do know you should never put anything past The Joker.", Bruce confirmed.

"Okay, listen, I'm working late tonight anyway. Why don't you go ahead and bring her in and let's see how she is doing. Is there a way you can get her to come without tipping her off? I'd hate for her to get spooked and refuse to come in."

"I'll think of something.", Bruce replied before getting off the phone.

He walked back out to the table and again sat across from Harley. Their table had been cleared from their dinner and there was a small cup of coffee for each of them. Harley was pouring her third sugar packet into her cup and swirling the liquid with a small silver spoon.

"Any plans for after dinner, Harley?", Bruce asked as he tried to feel her out.

Harley looked up with a twinkle in her eye. "Well, I suppose that depends…"

"Well, after this cup of coffee I'll be wired so how about you and I go for a drive?", he asked as he wracked his brain for some way to get the woman to Arkham.

"You know, Bruce, I'd love if you could do me a favor. I'm such a ditz, you know? I left my cellphone at the office today. Would you mind taking me there so I don't have to wait ?", she asked with a pouty lip.

"You want me to take you to Arkham?", he asked astonished.

"If it isn't too much trouble.", she shrugged.

"My pleasure.", he replied.


	24. Chapter 24

As Bruce drove Harley to Arkham through the dark streets of Gotham, he snuck small glances at the beautiful blonde sitting next to him. There was a humming energy emitting from the woman and she had a grin on her face that could rival The Joker's. He felt a deep remorse settle in his stomach. It had been some time since he felt such personal concern over a woman. He did not know Harley that well, but he realized that he had wanted to get to know her more. She was so much different than the women who fawned over him at parties and fundraising events. Harley seemed almost uninterested in him, which only intrigued him further. She was focused and smart which is probably why The Joker found her so interesting as well. Bruce realized that in addition to the sadness he was feeling for Harley, he was also feeling jealousy. He had shown obvious interest in Harley since their first meeting in the museum with Pam, but it was clear that she looked at him as more a friend and maybe only a friendly acquaintance. Instead, she was willing to throw everything she ever worked for away as she succumbed to his nemesis. _If only The Joker knew,_ Bruce thought to himself, _what a joke._ Bruce hoped that Harley would be compliant with rehabilitation and that it wasn't too late to save her mind. He couldn't let The Joker take her away. He didn't deserve Harleen Quinzel.

Harley sat quietly in the passenger seat of Bruce's car. She watched the moonlight dance on the small waves of the South Channel as he drove them across the bridge to the asylum. _This was too easy! The Joker will be so proud of you, Harley! He's gonna break out and you'll go get Lucy and it will all work out… somehow. J will take care of you._

Their silent car ride came to an end as Bruce parked in the visitor's lot in front of the ancient building. Harley was out of the vehicle before Bruce could even walk around to open the door for her and she was impatiently bouncing on the balls of her feel like a child who couldn't wait to get through the gates at Disneyland. "Come on, Bruce!", she whined. Bruce pursed his lips and walked Harley inside with his hand on the small of her back.

Arkham was dead silent and although the lights were all on, it seemed dimmer in these night hours. They walked right past security and through the lobby. Bruce watched in concern as they passed the unmanned security office. Harley used her key card to open the door that would lead them to the hall which housed the doctors' offices. She wasn't entirely sure on how she was going to get Bruce to J, but she knew a plan would come together. She had at least gotten him to the building. As the door opened, Joan was standing on the other side.

"Oh!", Harley squeaked.

Joan smiled pleasantly and she gave a brief knowing look to Bruce. "Harley, what a nice surprise! Didn't know you would be here this evening."

"Oh, well, I was having dinner with Bruce and I, uh, realized I forgot… something here… and-", Harley stuttered.

"Well this is perfect timing because I would love to have a chat with you and Bruce. Why don't you two come have a nice cup of coffee in my office and we'll chat.", Joan stated as she turned and led the two down the hall. Harley felt a little deflated after realizing that things had just gotten more complicated with Joan in the picture.

The trio was quiet as they walked down the long corridor, passing Harley's own office on the way. Harley noticed that there were two security cards standing around which wasn't unusual, but she wondered why they were in the administration hall rather than at their assigned posts. They eyed her carefully as she walked by. _J must have them looking out for Bruce. Now that they've seen he's here they are going to go tell him!_ , Harley assured herself. She turned her head to get a second look at the two men and she winked at them. They looked slightly confused, but nodded courteously anyway.

Joan invited Bruce and Harley to take a seat once they reached her office. Joan sat in the chair behind her desk and Harley soon felt that she was under some sort of scrutiny by the was Joan sat so still… almost nervous. Joan sat smiling pleasantly and her eyes shot quick glances to Bruce. Harley turned to look at Bruce who was looking down at her with concern painting his face.

"So, uh, what's going on, Joan?", Harley asked with a tremble in her voice.

Joan looked down for a moment and then found Harley's intense stare again. "Well, I just wanted to ask how you are doing, Doctor. You just seem a little off your game lately.", Joan finally said.

"Off my game? What do you mean?", Harley asked with a shrug.

"It's just that it's been noticed that you seem a little distracted with your work. I'm concerned that maybe you've gotten too close to The Joker and it's starting to take a toll on you. I think it would be wise if you took some time off and regrouped. Go on a vacation or possibly, think about talking to someone." Joan ended her statement quietly, as if ashamed.

Harley's jaw dropped as she listened to Joan. She let out a quick exasperated chuckle. "I can assure you that while I have been very devoted to this incredibly _complex_ case, that _you_ put me on, by the way, I certainly wouldn't say I can't handle it!", Harley retorted loudly.

Joan looked to Bruce who in turn placed a hand on Harley's shoulder. She turned to him and glared once she realized that he was siding with Joan. "We've noticed a marked difference in your personality over the past several weeks.", he stated. Harley shrugged his hand off her shoulder.

Joan spoke up. "You're not been keeping up with your documentation and you've been missing work." Joan then looked away, appearing embarrassed. "There have been _rumors_ , Harley… some of the guards are saying that you have not been entirely _professional_ with The Joker during your sessions."

Harley jumped up from her seat. "Oh that's real rich! You're just gonna trust the word of these morons you have guarding this place? Most of 'em are on The Joker's payroll, FYI. Listen, you have no idea what you're talking about. I'm fine and I can be better about turning my stuff into you, if that's what this is about. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go." Harley turned to storm out of the office, but Bruce was already blocking her way. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, encouraging her to take a seat. Harley struggled to get past him, but the more she tried, the stronger his grip became. "Let go of me! What is this?", Harley shouted.

"Harley! Sit down, please!", Joan shouted over the struggling woman's pleas. Bruce forced Harley to sit in the chair a bit more forcefully than he intended. "Listen, we are concerned for you. It's not your fault. You aren't the first person The Joker has manipulated. We think it's best if we admit you here, just for a little while to not only protect you from him, but to also get you some needed therapy so you can be the amazing doctor we know you to be."

Harley just shook her head, "I can't believe this. This is ridiculous! You want to admit me to Arkham? _Me_?! Listen, it's not what it seems like, okay?" Harley sighed. "The Joker and I…" _Harley, you can't tell them! It's a secret!_ She squashed the voice in her mind.

Joan knitted her eyebrows. "The Joker and you… what?", she asked.

"The Joker and I have history.", Harley blurted out.

"History?", Joan asked. "Like outside of Arkham? You knew him before he was admitted, you mean?"

Harley nodded and crossed her arms across her chest. "The Joker, well, he's actually my husband, okay? I know I shouldn't have lied, but I have my reasons alright?"

Joan looked to Bruce with wide eyes. "He's your _husband_? You're telling me that you believe you are married to The Joker?"

Harley nodded, "I believe it because it's true!"

Joan nodded back slowly. "Okay… okay. Well I still think we should probably have you stay with us for a couple of days. Just to be on the safe side. We wouldn't keep you with the general population, obviously, so don't worry about that.", Joan assured with her full on "doctor's voice".

Bruce silently walked to the door and allowed the two security guards from the hallway to enter. Harley heard the jingle of their keys and turned to see the men walking toward her. Suddenly panicked, she quickly stood again and backed up until the back of her thighs bumped into the wooden ledge of Joan's desk.

"These nice men are here to take you to your room, Harley. Everything is all settled and you and I will meet again after you've had a good night's rest", Joan said assuredly.

"No! No, you don't understand! I need to talk to The Joker! I need to see my husband!", Harley shouted. She reached behind herself to grab whatever object she could find on Joan's desk which happened to be a metal stapler and she chucked it at the nearest guard's head. It disoriented him for only a few seconds which was all she needed in order to duck under his outstretched arm. As Harley ran toward the door, Bruce grabbed her left wrist. Harley screamed as she pulled with all her might in an attempt to break Bruce's strong grip. She succumbed for only a moment so that she could bite down on his hand hard enough that blood was drawn. He gasped and let go only to reach for her again, but she was too quick as she darted down the hallway. She lost her heels not long after leaving Joan's office. An alarm suddenly sounded overhead and red lights flashed along the corners of the ceiling. Harley pushed open the door to the nearest staircase and she glanced behind her to see that the two guards were on her tail and shortly behind them were Joan and Bruce. She slammed the door closed behind her and leapt down the staircase taking two or three steps at a time. She reached the bottom and ran to the security door where she punched in the code to enter the hall where the inmates were kept. The alarms sounded louder as she entered the corridor. She walked slower once The Joker's cell door was in sight. She stood in front of the steel door with a small window and rested her hand on the cool metal. She was breathing hard and finally the two guards and Joan and Bruce reached her. They all watched her, waiting to see what would happen. The door moved slightly behind her palm and she gasped at the unexpectedness of it. Harley pushed harder, allowing the door to swing open into the cell. The red security lights bounced off the walls of the cell revealing that it was completely empty of an inmate. Harley quickly turned to face Bruce and Joan with a look of surprise. The Joker had escaped.

Behind them, guns were cocked and the loud blaring noise of the alarm ceased. The trio turned to find the security guards pointing their guns in their faces encouraging them to back themselves into the empty cell.

"Okay, alright now.", Bruce spoke. "There's no need for this. Put down your weapons."

"Boss's orders. Get in the cell now.", the guard on the left replied.

Joan obediently walked into the cell and urged the others to follow.

"Are you guys taking me to The Joker?", Harley asked the men.

"Nope. Boss said all of you were to be locked up. No exceptions.", the guard on the right stated.

"I don't think that's right.", Harley stated. "There's some mistake. He said he was taking me with him!"

Frustrated, the guard on the right stepped towards Harley and raised his gun as he prepared to pistol whip her and she closed her eyes and prepared to block the hit. Before he could make contact, he was knocked over after being kicked in the ribs by Bruce's shoe. Harley jumped back as she watched Bruce take on the two men and both of their guns were kicked out of their hands. Harley looked to the guards who were now standing against the cinderblock wall with their hands up in defense, fear painted on their faces. Bruce straightened his tie and bent to pick up one of the guns that landed next to his foot, but before he could bend to touch it, he was being pulled back up with a knife against his neck. In the next instant a gun was shot twice and the two guards fell in a heap on the floor. Harley gasped and looked back to Bruce and saw that he was now being held at the mercy of The Joker himself with what appeared to be a rusty potato peeler against his neck.

The Joker sighed with his mouth close to Bruce's ear. "If ya want something done right, ya gotta do it yourself." Bruce reached up and grabbed at The Joker's arm which was snaked around his shoulder with the weapon resting flush against the skin of his neck. "Ah-ta-ta-ta, Brucey. Calm down now."

"J! I knew you'd come back!", Harley beamed excitedly.

The Joker gave her a glance out of the corner of his eye as his tongue darted to wet his lips. Bruce's instincts were to grab The Joker and throw him to the ground, but he also knew The Joker was packing a gun and he wouldn't put it past him to shoot either himself or Harley. So he remained calm with a tight grip on The Joker's forearm and he kept his eyes on Harley who appeared as love-struck as ever.

"I had to tell them, J! They didn't believe me, but I told them about us." Harley took two steps toward the men and she reached out a hand to touch The Joker's sleeve. He was still wearing his Arkham uniform with a naked face and disheveled hair.

"Get in the cell, _doctor_.", The Joker growled through gritted teeth.

"But-", Harley started and quickly stopped once The Joker turned to her with a piercing gaze. "Okay." She turned and solemnly joined Joan inside the abandoned cell.

Once The Joker and Bruce were alone, Bruce felt more comfortable with his original plan. He let go of The Joker's forearm and elbowed him hard in the ribs. The Joker blew out a puff of air and doubled over, but when he looked back up at Bruce he was smiling. He lifted the potato peeler and pointed it toward Bruce as he spoke, slowly walking toward him. "You… fight _dirty_.", he chuckled.

"You're one to talk.", Bruce retorted. He stood his ground until he was face to face with The Joker. They stood inches apart, so close that Bruce could smell The Joker's breath which was a reeked of stale cigarettes. He had never been so close to The Joker without his makeup on. He could see the small crow's feet lightly branching from the corners of his eyes and although he tried not to give him the satisfaction, he couldn't help glancing at the scars. Bruce reminded himself that he _was not_ Batman right now. He was Bruce Wayne and he could not tip The Joker off by fighting in a way that he may recognize.

"I thought you might like to know, _Mister Wayne_ , what is going on in your asylum." The potato peeler's point was resting on Bruce's sternum and had quite likely put a hole in his very expensive navy blue tie. "They throw these new doctors to the wolves. It's not my fault they give out such, uh, easy prey."

"You nearly ruined that woman." Bruce said as he glanced toward Harley who was watching with knitted eyebrows from the door of the cell. Joan was eagerly trying to pull her back inside the cell where she believed they would be safer, but Harley was committed to watching the men as closely as she could. "Do you realize what you've done to her? All for some sick game."

The Joker chuckled again darkly. "Now, now, maybe there's more to the doctor than you realize, hm? And I have to say, you seem much more, ah, concerned than I would have expected. I've always considered your _humanitarianism_ more of a façade forced on you by the expectations on this city, but maybe you do have a, uh, _heart_ in there." He pressed the peeler slightly deeper into Bruce's skin, winning a flinch as Bruce felt a sharp pain. It took everything in him to not kick The Joker's legs out from under him and beating in his face until he passed out. "Do you have a little crush on _my_ doctor, Bruce?" He made a tsking sound and shook his head. "A-dor-able as that is, I _don't_ share. I finally got her just how I _like_ her."

Bruce's breath came a bit shallower as he found himself becoming angry. His anger became too much and he found himself moving without permission, starting with grabbing the wrist of the hand holding the peeler and bending backwards. The Joker rarely showed any signs of pain and instead reverted to giddy laughter during their scuffles. The Joker threw the first punch and from there the two men were on each other like rabid dogs. Fists flew and legs kicked. Bruce grunted and The Joker growled. Harley watched in horror. It was The Joker however who came out on top, literally, as he straddled Bruce's chest and lifted his top half by the shoulders and slammed him back onto the linoleum floor rendering the man unconscious. He wiped the stream of blood from his nose and sniffed as he patted Bruce's chest and stood up. He slowly turned just his head toward Harley who was gripping the side of the doorframe, itching to run into The Joker's arms. He crooked a finger toward her, signaling her to come.

"No, Harley!", Joan cried.

But Harley took no time to make her way to him. He petted her hair, leaving some blood behind that had not dried on his hands yet. "You've been _naugh-ty_." , he said in a low voice that only she could hear.

"I'm sorry. They wanted to commit me to the asylum. They think I've lost my mind. I had to tell them the truth." That made him smirk ever so slightly. "But you're taking me with you, right? We can be together now?", she asked with desperate pleading in her eyes.

"I'll be back for you.", he replied.

"No! I want to come now! J, I'm ready now. You promised!"

He placed a finger on her lips and she became silent. "Listen to _daddy_ , now _lit-tle_ Harley Quinn. I said I will be back for you. It's not the right time."

Her lip trembled. "But where will I go?", she asked quietly.

"I think you're, uh, in perfectly good hands here.", he said with a grin. He grabbed her by the shoulders and walked her backwards into the cell where Joan was cowering in the corner. He gave Harley one last shove and closed the door, effectively locking the two women inside. "Stay.", he commanded. With an angry groan, Harley ran up to the door and slammed her hands on the steel sounding a muffled bang. She stood on her tip toes to look out the small window cut into the steel door screaming for him to return as she watched The Joker walk down the hall, stepping over Bruce's still body.


	25. Chapter 25

"I got the results from our public records search.", Joan began. She sat down on a cushioned chair with an awful, faded floral print. Harley sat in a chair quite similar a few feet away. "There is no record of your marriage. Actually, I could not find any public records for a Jack Napier with the date of birth you gave us."

It had been three days since Harley was admitted to Arkham Asylum against her will. It was easy to get a petition for her stay based on her seeming psychotic delusions about her relationship with The Joker. Her mouth felt dry due to the Zyprexa she was prescribed. Harley knew that he would have deleted all of his public records by now and it certainly did not help her case.

"I'm truly sorry, Harley.", Joan said sympathetically.

Harley looked away, appearing finding the empty wall interesting.

"I should have been more careful. I should have found someone with more experience to take his case. I feel completely at fault here." Joan could tell that this session was going to go much like the first one she had the day after Harley was admitted. Harley spoke minimally. At first she only requested that Joan look up hers and Jack's marriage license in the hopes that it would support her story. This time it appeared that Harley was uninterested in any dialogue. "How about we try this again tomorrow? I know it's been a hard couple of days for you and you've experienced quite a bit of trauma. I'm ready to talk when you are."

Harley chewed the inside of her lip. She spoke quietly. "Have you heard anything about him?"

Joan inhaled deeply. "No, I have not. No one has seen or heard from him since his escape. Harley, I think it is important to talk about your feelings about him, but I do not think it is good for us to talk about what he is doing currently. We need to move on from here. I have an idea, a homework assignment for you to work on tonight." Harley slowly raised her eyebrows in interest. Joan stood and walked to her desk where she dug through her drawer and pulled out a black and white composition notebook. She plucked a pen from a ceramic mug on her way back to her seat. "Here, take these.", she passed the new items to Harley who cautiously took them. "I want you to keep a diary. If you don't feel comfortable talking to me about what's going on in your head, try writing down your thoughts and we can review them during your sessions."

Harley squeezed the notebook between her hands. "Can I see my daughter? Lucy? I need to make sure she's okay."

"Lucy is fine. Bruce informed me that your friend Pam has been keeping her.", Joan assured.

"You know, Pam knows about The Joker and I too.", Harley replied in a last ditch effort to confirm her history. "She knew him long before…"

"According to Bruce, Pam did not have much to say about it. She is very concerned about you too, Harley. We all are."

The room Harley was placed in was down a quiet hall. She had a window that overlooked the courtyard behind Arkham Asylum. Currently it was foggy. It was usually foggy and dreary. She had a twin sized bed with a white quilt. There was a small red desk under the window with a chair. The walls were still made of the same cinderblock as the rest of the building, but had been painted light blue at some point. This wing was not used very often and thus looked a bit nicer than the one with the more frequently used cells.

Harley had just returned from her session with Joan. She stood in the middle of her room wearing loose white pants with a drawstring and white top with white socks. Her only relief was that they did not force her to wear the orange version of the Arkham uniform reserved for the more dangerous inmates. She still clutched the notebook in her hands and she clicked her pen a few times before placing the items on her desk. She looked out her window and could see that it was recreation time for a group of inmates. They mostly stood around in the grass idly. There was not much for them to do out there.

How had she gotten to this point? She hadn't really had the mental power to process what was happening with her. She was more confused than anything. The Joker must have had a good reason to leave her behind. He said it wasn't the right time. But when would be the right time? How long would she be imprisoned in the asylum she was once a doctor in?

There was a knock on the door which startled her. "Harley? It's Bruce. Is it okay if I come in?", the muffled voice stated from the other side.

Harley's door was always locked. Joan had told her she would regain some privileges including the ability to come and go from her room soon after she had been thoroughly assessed and showed some signs of progress.

"Oh, um, sure. I'm not able to open the door, but-" Before she could finish there was a beep and the handle turned as the door opened. Bruce walked through looking as handsome as ever. He had obviously come from the office as he was wearing dress clothes - black pants, white shirt, black leather shoes. Black and white. Harley wondered if he ever wore sweatpants and what did he sleep in anyway? "Hi", she said suddenly feeling embarrassed. She wanted to crawl under the bed and hide herself forever.

Bruce gave a small smile. He assessed her, her room. He took a few steps forward and glanced out the window to the courtyard. He turned back to Harley who was crossing her arms sheepishly in front of herself. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

She wasn't sure how to respond to that because she really wasn't sure. She settled on, "I've been better."

"Can't fault you there.", he said with a little shrug. "I want you to know that you are safe here."

Harley gave a quick snort. It was the first smile she had given since he arrived. "Safe, huh? Safe from what?", she asked still smiling.

"Safe from him."

"The Joker can walk in and out of this place like it's nothing, Bruce. When he's ready for me, he's gonna come get me." Her smile faded and she looked serious now.

"Not if I can help it.", Bruce replied as he looked away back toward the window.

"Why do you care so much, Bruce? None of this is any of your business. Don't you have enough on your plate?", she asked as she threw her hands up before her palms slapped against the sides of her thighs.

Bruce breathed out through his nose before responding. "I hate to see him win. He doesn't deserve to get what he wants, Harley. He doesn't deserve you. You are smart and beautiful. You're a good mother! You're thoughtful and strong. You intrigue me. I want to unravel your past. I want to know the real you. What's the reason behind your secrets and stories?"

"You'd never believe me.", she said quietly.

"I want to. Let me in." His eyes softened as he walked toward her. His hands gently touched her shoulders with his thumbs making a small circle. 

"I don't think I can.", she whispered, her voice nearly cracking. 

"I want to help you." He drew her in completely for a hug, his hands sliding from her shoulders to her back. She had to admit that the hug felt good. Bruce felt warm and she could hear his heart beating quickly against her ear. She was so tired.


	26. Chapter 26

Later that night, she switched the small tabletop lamp on as she took a seat at the little red desk in her room. They had turned off the overhead lights hours ago, she was unsure of the time since she did not have the luxury of a clock. She couldn't sleep although she felt exhausted. The past few days were catching up with her and her mind struggled to sort through everything. Then Bruce came and complicated everything further. Harley felt that she could probably use all the friends she could get right now, but Bruce seemed to hate The Joker more than anyone which put her in a precarious position. Bruce was a nice guy. He was handsome and had money, both were things that Harley never cared about. She was more interested on the person on the inside. He seemed to care about her though and that made her feel almost uncomfortable. She thumbed through the pages of the blank notebook given to her by Joan that morning. Maybe it would feel good to write. Picking up her pen she began scribble about the first memories that came to mind.

* * *

Lucy had been two, maybe two and a half. Harley had taken the little girl to the store for some milk and bread and to meander the aisles to pass the time. Jack was on her mind constantly then. He was up to something – she could tell during the most recent visit of his. He had been even more checked out than usual. He had opted to mow the lawn for her, slowly pushing the mower back and forth through the overgrown grass. She caught him more than once sitting on the couch, staring at the wall ahead while his mind ran elsewhere. Lucy played by his feet, combing her doll's hair quietly or untying his shoelaces. He was calculating something and it had made Harley nervous.

Lucy was sitting in the front of the cart, tiny legs dangling out of her seat. She was starting to get anxious to leave and her voice was getting whiney. "Maaaaamaaaa!", she complained. "Go home now!" Harley looked back to the small blonde girl with pleading eyes. "Okay, honey, okay. We'll go.", Harley assured as she gently tugged one of Lucy's pigtails. On their way to the front of the store, they passed the electronics section. A dozen TV monitors lined the wall and they were all displaying the same obnoxiously loud and bright cartoon, one of Lucy's favorites. Harley realized her mistake of passing by the screens when Lucy wailed that she wanted to watch. Realizing it would be much easier to let her watch the show for five minutes than argue for the next fifteen, Harley wheeled the cart over to the monitors. Lucy clapped joyfully and danced along to the theme song.

"Holy crap! Change it to channel four, bro!", a teenage boy's voice called.

Harley turned to see two young guys fumbling around for a remote and jabbing at the buttons before the cartoon disappeared and the news station appeared. Lucy began to cry until _his_ voice boomed through the speakers. Lucy became quiet as did everyone else, at least eight other shoppers and store workers were instantly frozen in terror as The Joker interrogated a man they would later learn was Brian Douglas. His mistake was believing in Batman and attempting to duplicate his vigilante justice. "Look at me!", The Joker yelled to Brian and the voice sounded foreign to Harley. This was the first time she had actually seen him wearing full makeup. She had never quite understood what an out of body experience would feel like, but she was feeling it now. So this is what he had been thinking about, planning, scheming. He was public now in Gotham. The video ended with a shrill laugh which made several bystanders jump before the scene returned to the news anchor. They rarely saw Gotham news in their small town, but if something big happened like when the Scarecrow released his signature fear toxin, it made the news across the state.

The several shoppers began to whisper to each with concern and Harley turned to see Lucy who was smiling bigger than ever. "Daddy! Daddy!", she squealed as she pointed to the television screens. Harley's eyes widened and her face turned red in embarrassment. People were starting to stare as Lucy giggled gleefully. "Daddy! My daddy!" Harley began to push the cart between the shoppers as all eyes rested on her. Lucy began to cry as they left the electronics area, "Wait! No, daddy on TV!".

Harley was tempted to leave the store, dragging Lucy kicking and screaming without buying any of the items in the cart, but they needed the milk. Jack drank the rest of what they had when he visited over the weekend. She picked the shortest line and tried to quiet her racing heart. An older woman who had been standing near them while the Joker clip played came to stand in line behind them. Lucy continued to blubber about her daddy and Harley quickly tossed the contents of their cart on the conveyor belt.

The older woman placed her hand on Lucy's and cooed, "Oh sweetheart, that wasn't your daddy. That was a very bad man. He hurts people. I'm sure you have a very nice daddy waiting for you at home."

Harley quickly turned to give the woman a pointed glare. "Excuse me!", Harley scolded.

"I just didn't want the little one to have any nightmares about what she saw back there. We should pray to God that man doesn't have any children. Can you imagine?"

Harley fumbled over what she should say. She felt both embarrassed and also defensive. "Maybe you should mind your own business." Harley grabbed the cart from the back and pulled it forward, away from the woman. She tossed a twenty dollar bill at the cashier and grabbed the gallon of milk before rushing out of the store. It had just started to rain and Harley rushed to get Lucy buckled into the car seat before falling into her own seat. She sat quietly before turning on the car. The rain made pattering sounds that soothed her. She wiped the droplets from her forehead and adjusted herself in her seat to sit more upright. Her breathing calmed down and she ran her car keys through her fingers. She let the jagged edge rest against fleshy web between her thumb and index finger. As she pressed down and felt the dull pain, she felt calmer.

"Mommy? Daddy a bad guy?", Lucy asked innocently.

Harley dropped the keys into her lap and looked into the rearview mirror. The sweet, round face met her gaze and she looked so innocent, so hopeful. "No, honey, daddy is not a bad guy."


	27. Chapter 27

Three months had passed since Harley was admitted to Arkham Asylum. With each passing day and night, she felt more and more hopeless. There was no sign The Joker was coming back for her. There was no sign The Joker was in Gotham at all. It had been strangely quiet over the course of the summer.

The original daily sessions with Joan had tapered to three sessions a week. In the beginning, Harley wrote down pages of memories of she and Jack from the time they lived with Ms Pat in the foster home up until they were separated just months ago. Harley would pour her heart out in the journal only to meet the patronizing stare of Joan during their one-on-ones. One evening, Harley just didn't feel like writing about him anymore. She began to write about Lucy instead. She missed her daughter desperately. She had not seen her since before she was committed and she felt an empty space in her heart anytime she remembered her messy blonde curls or her angelic laughter. Thank God for Pam. Harley realized that if something really ever happened and Pam wasn't there to be with Lucy, then the little girl would have no one.

In an afternoon session, Joan sat casually in the armchair across from Harley. Harley seemed a bit distant like she had for a while.

"Penny for your thoughts?", Joan asked with a friendly smile.

Harley gave a small shrug and rubbed her temple with her index finger as she stalled to answer the question.

"Harley, we haven't talked about The Joker in quite a while. Why is that?"

Harley gave another small shrug. "I don't know. I guess I just don't feel like it."

"Are you disappointed that he never came back to get you out of here?", Joan asked as she daintily folded her fingers together.

"I was disappointed at first. Maybe I still am."

"You seem to have made a new friend in Bruce Wayne.", Joan said with hopefulness in her voice. It was true. Bruce had faithfully visited Harley at least twice each week. Sometimes he would bring her flowers and other times he would take her for a stroll in the Arkham gardens. He was certainly friendly and for a reason Harley could not fathom, very interested in her. She appreciated his visits to break up the monotony. He had not talked to her about The Joker since his first visit for which she was grateful. Harley felt guilty for not being able to return the obvious interest and even though she had casually made it clear that she was not ready for any sort of commitment, he continued to pursue her.

Harley shyly looked down to the floor. Every time she met with Bruce or talked about him, she felt an overwhelming pang of betrayal. "Yes, he has been a good friend.", Harley nodded.

"It's good to make friends, Harley. I can see you feel maybe a little apprehensive about it, but I want to assure you that being a friend or more with Bruce is not something you should feel guilt over. Did you know that he has been helping Pam with Lucy?"

Harley's head popped up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he has set up some outings for she and Pam to keep busy while you've been receiving help. I'm surprised he hadn't mentioned it to you. Last time he stopped by he had said something about a private tour of the city aquarium."

Harley slumped back in her chair. Lucy had been clamoring about going to an aquarium for a while, but Harley had just been too busy. Lucy would have really loved that.

"It seems he is very thoughtful when it comes to your daughter. All children need a good male role model in their life. What do you think about Bruce filling that role for her?"

It was a sore spot for Harley of course. Growing up, her father was pure evil right up until the night Jack killed him. Even before Jack transitioned into The Joker, he had never wanted children. She was always fearful that Lucy would grow up feeling abandoned by her father. She found herself being cautiously grateful that Bruce was showing attentiveness.

"Well, let's wrap this up.", Joan said with a sigh as she straightened her skirt.

Harley followed Joan to the office door before the woman stopped and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're doing really well, Doctor Quinzel. I'm proud of you. I think after a few more sessions we can start working on a discharge plan."

A small smile crept across Harley's face. Discharge. For these past few months, she had been sheltered from real life. She was able to pretend that she hadn't been abandoned by The Joker, but once she was out in the real world again, she feared that the numbness that surrounded her would fade and the pain would become all too real. Would she move back to the farmhouse? She couldn't imagine staying in Gotham. Would Pam even want to be her friend anymore?

Harley was able to walk to and from her sessions alone now. Joan said she trusted her to be on her best behavior. She was able to walk to and from the dining hall and the rec room as well. Her door was no longer locked during the day, but was secured between nine pm and nine am. As she turned the corner, she saw Bruce leaning against the doorframe to her room. It was then that she noticed the flutter. A small feeling of a butterfly deep inside her belly. She almost didn't detect it, but seeing Bruce waiting for her seemed to trigger it and then it was gone. She felt her face flush in embarrassment as she realized that just maybe she was developing a small crush on the man. Then the waves of guilt hit her and by the time she reached Bruce her girlish smile faded to a look of sadness.

Bruce stood straight as he turned to greet Harley. He could see the sadness in her eyes and he was determined to wipe it away. "Serious question. Do you like sushi?", he asked.

She lassoed the guilty feeling and shoved it in a box in the back of her mind. She would punish herself later in her thoughts after she was attempting to sleep that night. She raised her eyebrows in interest and nodded. He raised a brown bag off the floor that she hadn't noticed at first. "I was hoping you'd say that. Come with me.", he jerked his head as he turned to walk down the hall ahead of her. Her grin returned and she found herself skipping to catch up to him. Moments later they were up a flight of stairs and opening a door that was most certainly not meant for them and then they found themselves on the roof of Arkham Asylum.

The sky was bluer than usual for Gotham. There were white puffy clouds hovering around the bright sun. It wasn't too hot and there was a gentle breeze that played with the careless brown strands that hung around Bruce's forehead. She noticed he was dressed more casually than usual. He must have changed at the office because now he wore dark wash jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt that hugged him in all the right ways. Harley found herself ogling and quickly turned to appreciate the view of the island instead. Bruce's gaze swept across the rooftop before settling on two milk crates that had been abandoned. He took Harley's hand and led her to the makeshift seats. As he opened the bag she leaned forward to peer inside. She was awful tired of the too dry or too soupy meals at Arkham. The thought of fresh sushi in her mouth made her stomach growl loudly and Bruce let out a chuckle as he handed her a set of chopsticks. "Well I wasn't sure what you liked so I got just about every kind of roll they had." He pulled out some Styrofoam containers and allowed her first choice. It didn't take long before she decided on the Philly roll to start. Bruce grinned as he watched her first bites and her eyes closed as she savored the taste.

"That good, huh?", he asked before popping a piece of California roll in his mouth.

She smiled as she swallowed and opened her blue eyes to him. "You have no idea."

The two were quiet as they peacefully ate their late lunch. When it seemed Harley was too full to continue, he passed her a bottle of water to sip. Feeling grateful, Harley decided she should be the one to lead the conversation during this visit.

"Joan told me that you set up an aquarium visit for Lucy.", she started.

Bruce nodded. "I hope you don't mind. Pam and I have been acquaintances for some time you know. I just want to help out. She told me that Lucy had a great time."

"I miss her so much.", Harley said sadly. "But thank you for doing that. She really loves that kind of stuff. I only wish that I had done more of it before."

"Oh well there's still lots of time, Harley. She's so young." He stalled for a moment before saying, "She loves you a lot, you know. She talks about you all the time. She knows that you are just trying to get better. You're raising an amazing little girl and you've done so well all by yourself."

"Thanks.", she said quietly.

"I know we don't talk about this much and that's fine with me, but I want you to know that I do believe there was something going on between you and The Joker. I don't know what it was or how far back it goes. I know he is a master manipulator and I worry that he has invaded your mind and planted memories that are untrue. But I don't judge you, Harley. I want you to know that I believe you." He reached over and took her hands in his. She looked up to him with tears filling her eyes. "I want you to also know that you are more than what he has led you to think you are. You don't belong to him. No one owns you. I hate to watch you waste your life away waiting for him to decide when he's ready for you only so he can tear everything apart again. I want Lucy to grow up with someone stable in her life. Someone who can help raise her and guide her. I want to be that person. I want you to know that you can trust me to be there for you and Lucy always."

Harley had never heard anyone say things like this to her. She had never known anyone aside from Pam say they loved Lucy. She wanted nothing more than for Lucy to feel loved. Her heart was racing as she took in Bruce's declaration. The passionate look in his eyes made her adrenaline pump. How she wished she could forget The Joker and just love Bruce, but something inside her knew she could never show him the love he deserved. She was in too deep with the devil. "Oh, Bruce.", she said as she buried her face in her hands.

"I know that it won't be easy, Harley. I know that you are going through a lot and it is not my intention to make your life more difficult. I want to ease your burden. I want you to let me in. I just want to be a part of you, whatever that means." He tossed the Styrofoam container from his lap as he turned to kneel in front of her. He pulled her hands away from her face and their eyes met once again. She bit her lower lip between her teeth and she gave a small nod. He brushed her the blonde waves behind her ears as he gently leaned forward and their lips touched softly and unmoving. Harley closed her eyes as she felt the new lips against hers. It was the sort of kiss she hadn't known in so many years. Her lips craved the attention and she found herself leaning into him. Her hands rested on his shoulders and he went in for another. There was that small butterfly feeling again. Could she do this? Could she move on? The image of Lucy flashed in her mind. Yes, she would do this for Lucy's sake.


	28. Chapter 28

6 years later,

_Harley Quinn, Harley Quinn… Ha-Ha-Harley Quinn… he's coming for you Harley. He's coming for you and he's going to be very, very upset._

Harley woke with a start, panting and holding her hand over her pounding heart. Her pink silk nightgown clung to her damp, sweaty skin. It was always the same nightmare that woke her: The Joker, the Harlequin… the Glasgow grins. "Shut up!", she yelled to herself as she grabbed handfuls of her hair. The moonlight shone brightly through the large French doors leading to a balcony, reflecting off the ivory silk duvet cover. She was alone. She grabbed the glass of water from her bedside table and threw it against the wall in her frustration. She sighed before sliding to the edge of the king size bed, feet hitting the floor. The room felt suffocating, she quickly reached the French doors, throwing them open to let the cool night air hit her body. The breeze swirled the hem of her gown against her thighs. The stone balcony was cold against her bare feet, but she welcomed the coolness.

Most nights she slept alone. Bruce often began the evening with her, but he was not a good sleeper. In the beginning, she would search the manor for him, but he could never be found. All vehicles were accounted for in the garage, but he was nowhere. Over the course of the past six years, she stopped asking where he would go at night. After all he had done for she and Lucy, she could respect the privacy he seemed to hold so important. Six years, so many things happened during that time, the most recent involving the three-carat diamond solitaire on her left hand. He had proposed a week ago and she was still not used to the weight of the ring. It felt heavy and snagged on everything. She wished she could put it away in a jewelry box, but she knew it would crush the man who slid it on her finger. She recalled the look on his face. He truly did not know how she would answer. Harley figured the day would come and she had already made up her mind some time ago that when he did have the courage to ask for marriage, she would agree. For Lucy.

Goosebumps began to appear across her arms and legs, signaling to her that it was time to head back inside. The bedside alarm clock noted that it was nearly five o'clock in the morning and she didn't believe sleep would return to her. After stepping back inside the master suite, she closed the balcony doors behind her and searched for her matching silk dressing gown and plush slippers, black rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She decided that a cup of coffee would make her feel more alive and she needed to do something to shake the lingering feeling of distraught left from the reoccurring nightmare that woke her. She shuffled down the hallway to the grand staircase. The walls were lined with portraits of people she did not know. Expensive sconces lit the path for her. Bruce would be returning home soon. Maybe she could see him off before he headed to Wayne Enterprises.

Harley's favorite part of the day was the early morning. The time before the world woke up. In a couple of hours the ten-year-old Lucy would be bouncing around the house as she got ready for school. Harley scooped the coffee grounds into a filter and before she could turn to pull a mug down from the cabinet, she heard a sound behind her.

She spun around with a hand over her heart. "Alfred! You startled me!", she said exasperatedly.

"I apologize, Miss Harley. Thought I'd give you a hand reaching the high shelf.", the butler replied. He was already impeccably dressed, not a hair out of place. Harley had become fond of Alfred Pennyworth. She considered him a dear friend since moving to Wayne Manor. She smiled in appreciation and reached for a second mug before pouring them each a cup of coffee. The two then each took a seat at the nearby dining table as they customized their drinks with cream and sugar.

"You're up a bit earlier than usual.", Alfred noted. "Bad dreams again?"

"Hmm, yeah.", Harley nodded. Alfred knew her so well. She thought his intuition was like a superpower. Sometimes she wondered if he could read minds. She swirled her coffee with a small silver spoon, letting it clink against the ceramic. Alfred never clinked his spoon.

"He still haunts me, Alfred. You would think that I could have moved on by now, but he still owns my dreams." She took her first sip and let the hot coffee burn the back of her throat. "I have not seen hide nor tail of the man in six years. He could be dead for all I know." The thought pained her. To think that The Joker left this earth without a goodbye made her feel angry. How dare he die without seeing her one last time. Gotham was a different city without The Joker. The mob bosses took over once again, new faces surfacing. However, it seemed that the citizens preferred the gang violence over The Joker. There was little need for Batman, but he remained ever present and ready whenever the Bat-Signal appeared.

Alfred paused as he considered his words. "It's only because you let him, Miss Harley."

"But I don't know how to stop it." She leaned in close as she spoke quietly. "I don't want him in my thoughts. I don't want him in my heart." A tear threatened to escape the rim of her eye before she quickly wiped it away. "Alfred.", she wetted her lips with her tongue before continuing. "Am I doing the right thing? Should I have told Bruce I would marry him?", her voice trembled.

Alfred reached across the table to place his warm hand across hers. "Have I ever told you how much I admire you?", he asked.

"Me? Why?", she asked. The thought would have made her laugh if the mood was different.

"You are an incredibly strong woman from what I've heard and what I've witnessed. I see someone who had everything against her. No family, unexpected pregnancy, single parent. You've danced with one of the most notorious criminals this world has ever known and lived to talk about it. You've had to work through the doubt of others and their unbelief. You've put your daughter's needs ahead of anyone else's. Look where it's gotten you. Master Wayne knows how you feel about him. He knows that you look at him more as a dear friend than a passionate romance, but he still chooses you over anyone else every day. He's wild about you and Miss Lucy. Now only you can decide where your future is headed. You could walk away from what you have here: a man who is understanding and madly in love with you despite not having his affections returned one hundred percent. A man who cares for your child as though she is his very own. The chance to do anything you could ever desire."

Harley appreciated his words, but they didn't make her feel any better. No matter what decision she made, she felt it would be the wrong one and because of that she made all decisions for Lucy's benefit. Marrying Bruce would give Lucy the best life and because of that, she decided she would move forward on that path.

"Thank you, Alfred."

It was then that the front door opened and closed noisily. A sweaty Bruce Wayne walked up behind Harley wearing gym clothes as though he had just come back from a run. He leaned over her shoulder and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek which made her smile. Alfred gave Harley a parting wink and he stood up to begin making breakfast.

Bruce took Alfred's empty seat at the dining room table and pulled a newspaper out from under his arm. Harley leaned forward with her hand resting on her palm to admire the man across from her. She may have not been in love with Bruce Wayne, but she certainly did love him.

"Well the cat's out of the bag. I knew it wouldn't be long." He slid the newspaper across the table, open to the society page. There was a picture of the two of them from a recent gala party and a blurb about their fresh engagement.

Harley skimmed the words and she rolled her eyes. "They talk about you like you're a piece of meat.", she chuckled. In a deep, mocking voice she said, "Ladies, Bruce Wayne is officially off the market'… Like you were available for purchase."

"You know they're going to expect an engagement party.", he said matter-of-factly as Alfred placed a cup of black coffee in front of him.

Harley sighed and pushed the newspaper back across the table. She pursed her lips with a defiant look. Bruce shrugged. "Sorry lady, that's just how the life of high society is.", he said as he folded the newspaper and put it aside.

"Okay, fine, but can we do something fun like have a mechanical bull or a petting zoo?", she asked as she tried to stifle a laugh.

"Honey, for you, we can have the whole circus."


	29. Chapter 29

He was weak. He had been for some time, but only just started to admit it to himself. Physically, he was fit. There was little to do so physical challenges were a motivator. He was up to five-hundred push-ups a day. But mentally, he was _weak_. He found himself blacking out for prolonged periods of time; staring at the smooth white ceiling until fuzzy shadows crept across his vision.

It had become hot. He knew it was summer because Lucius said it was. But the weather had little effect on the climate of his eighteen by eighteen containment cell because as far as he could tell, he was in the deep underbelly of... well somewhere. Stripped down to just his underwear, sweat clung to every inch of his skin. He was laying on the concrete floor. The stone cooling his back until his body temperature warmed it up and the he would flip over to cool his front on a new portion of the slab. His bare cheek, soft, molded against the hard floor, squishing the inside scar against his teeth.

The air conditioner was broken. It didn't take a genius, although he was, to realize that the small vent on the ceiling hadn't ran all day. The vent itself was small and tightly bolted to the wall. It was impossible to pry open without any tools. The Joker had tried endlessly.

The two way speaker, like you would see at an inner-city banking institution crackled as the deep, friendly voice spoke for the first time that day.

"Mister Joker. It appears the air conditioning has gone out."

"Ya don't say.", The Joker replied as he rolled onto his back to a cooler spot.

"I've got a call in to the repairman. Hopefully it will be fixed later today."

The Joker rubbed his eyes, hand sliding across his slick skin. He heard the small slot on the bottom of the only door in the room open signaling it was a meal time. Breakfast he supposed. The slot closed and The Joker sat upright knowing that Lucius Fox would not be back for several hours.

The melamine plate showcased a modest meal including two slices of dry white toast, two peeled hard boiled eggs, and a banana. Laying on its side was his usual water bottle, clear plastic, about twenty-four ounces, screw top. The plate and bottle were to be returned through the slot at his next meal. This morning a newspaper accompanied his meal.

Six years ago, The Joker escaped Arkham Asylum leaving Harley locked in a cell and Bruce Wayne unconscious on the floor. He hadn't been ready to take Harley just then and she wasn't really ready to leave with him. There is a lot to do after an escape from Arkham. He had to round up the gang, well whoever was left, secure a home base, catch up on Gotham's crime scene, and the list goes on. It was not a good time to be distracted by a small blonde with many questions so he figured a stay in Arkham would be good for her. He had planned on breaking her out after a week or two. Well that didn't happen.

Not a week after his escape, Batman caught up with him. He seemed more determined than ever before, a newfound strength assisted him in overcoming The Joker. Oh and he had fought _dirty_ that night using chloroform and everything. When The Joker woke up he found himself in this room where he has stayed for the entirety of that time. Apparently Batman didn't trust "the system" to hold him anymore so he took matters into his own hands. They hadn't seen each other since that night. The only other voice The Joker knew was that of a man called Lucius Fox, his caretaker, babysitter, and toilet paper fetcher. Two to three times a day Lucius delivered meals and water and other very basic supplies. Occasionally he provided a book or magazine or newspaper.

The newspapers were his favorite. He felt not so disconnected to Gotham when he could catch up on the news. He would spend hours reading every single word, no matter what the story's focus. Sometimes he found pictures of his Harley attending events with Bruce Wayne. He carefully ripped those pictures out and tucked them neatly under his twin sized mattress before returning the paper.

He sat up and began by drinking the water until it was almost empty in an attempt to replenish his lost fluids. He thumbed through the newspaper before settling on a story when he caught the bold headline "Billionaire Bruce Wayne Engaged". He felt his ears turning red in fury and he dropped the plastic bottle to the floor as he zeroed in on the story. He knew they were together from past articles and although it bothered him, he was willing to forgive her because she did not know he was still alive and _a girl's gotta eat_ , but he did not think that she would agree to marry the man. His jealousy bubbled inside, thinking of her wearing another man's ring.

Lucius could hear the prisoner's cursing ring from the insulated cell located below Wayne Enterprises. He spent much of his time in what would be considered it's basement near The Joker. Six years ago, a man he respected more than most, Bruce Wayne, Batman himself asked him for a favor. He requested that Lucius use his skills to create a room that would contain the uncontainable. The Joker was a real threat to the city and no one could hold him forever, not Arkham Asylum, not Blackgate Penitentiary. Bruce could see that Lucius found the request had posed a moral dilemma for him.

"You're asking me to create a prison for... The Joker.", Lucius had asked, trying to understand this new request. He had been asked for a lot of favors, but this one was the strangest.

"Yes. Think about it, Lucius. He just walked out of Arkham. You think that Blackgate would be any better? He is too much of a danger to Gotham. Think of the lives he's ruined. Your family could be next." It was a low blow to bring up family. What kind of man would Lucius be if he passed an opportunity to keep his wife and children safe?

"This isn't in my job description, Mr Wayne.", he said defiantly, but his tone betrayed him and Bruce knew he had given in.

The cell was seamless. It was set to run on his own power, filtration system, ventilation, and there would only be one way out. The door to the room was without knob or handle. There was only one way to open the door and that was with a print of Lucius' right thumb. The fingerprint scanner was located on the front of the door, a place that The Joker could never reach himself.

There was to be nothing in the room aside from a foam twin mattress with no sheets, a toilet, and a single shower head that was connected to a limited supply of water but not even a towel to dry with. The walls and ceiling were white the floor was gray cement. That was it. Entertainment was limited to one form of reading at a time. No television, no music, no conversation. Lucius delivered meals, just enough to keep him alive. Words would be exchanged at a complete minimum and sometimes weeks or maybe months went by where The Joker heard nothing but the conversations inside his own head.

Timothy Fox, eighteen-year-old son of Lucius was in a new round of trouble. His vice was cocaine. It controlled his life leaving him jobless, friendless, and nearly kicked out of his home. He had until the end of the summer to make an attempt to fix his life or he would be on his own. However, he couldn't concentrate on anything other than the trouble he was in with his dealer. He made one too many "IOU's" and now not only was his life being threatened, but also those of his younger sisters. He needed ten grand and needed it quickly, by the next day. He knew that his father worked with expensive equipment, much of it "top secret" inventions built for Wayne Enterprises. He had never been allowed to accompany his father to his place of work before, but he planned to get in that night. After sneaking into his father's home office, he stole his security key card and made his way to the Wayne building after midnight. The keycard made entering quite easy. The place had a significant number of security guards, but with stealth and patience, Tim made it to the elevators. He knew that his father worked in the lowest level of the building, but he did not know what he would find down there.

The elevator doors opened to a dark space. He took a step forward and felt along the wall until he found a row of switches. Carefully he flicked the first one and a series of overhead lights flickered on. Each switch he flipped, a new series blinked on, illuminating the room. It was long and crowded with crates and cabinets. He could see a desk , neatly organized with a computer and files. His goal was to find something, anything of value, sell it, and take the money to pay off his dealer in order to protect his family. Although all of the lights were on, the room was still dark and the only sound he could hear was the muffled sound of his Nike's carefully stepping along the floor. The first several cabinets he looked into held only outdated files. Not helpful. As he continued down the room opened up, became wider. Large objects were hidden under sheets of canvas. Newer looking cabinets appeared more promising. He quickened his pace and pulled open the first drawer he reached. Each object was cushioned securely with black foam. Weapons. His fingers carefully caressed an unusual gun. Several rounds of bullets were given their own space in the foam, lined in a row. This had to be worth something. He slid his empty backpack from his shoulders and unzipped it before placing the gun, lighter than it looked, and the bullets inside. He slung the strap back over his shoulder. He should go now, he told himself as he closed the drawer. No one would notice the gun was missing, he hoped. He took another look around the room when something caught his attention. It could only be described as a very large box sitting far back, away from most of the other mysterious objects. It caught his attention because of the size. Something massive must be hidden there. As he took several more steps forward, he was able to make out a sign on the front that stated "STAY BACK", "DO NOT ENTER", "DANGEROUS MATERIALS INSIDE". Intrigued, Tim looked over his shoulder to be sure he was indeed still alone and he walked up to the massive block.

There was no way to see inside the large cube. He pressed his hand on the heavy looking steel door. On the door was a complex looking keypad with a scanner built in. He noticed a round speaker embedded in the door. Ignoring the signage that warned anyone to stay away, Tim placed a palm on the door and leaned close to the speaker. A trembling finger pressed the black button that activated the speaker. First static and then the scream.

"HELP!", the voice echoed.

Startled, Tim fell backwards and hit his head on the cement. He grabbed the back of his head as he winced. As the realization dawned on him that someone was trapped inside the container he jumped up and returned to the speaker. He pressed the button again.

"He-hello?", he asked nervously.

"Help! I'm trapped! Get me out of here!", The Joker yelled.

"Who are you? What are you doing in there?"

"My name is Jack. A man named Lucius put me in here. Who are you?"

"Lucius? That's... that's my dad.", Tim said in disbelief.

"Your dad is a very, ah, _bad man_. He has been doing experiments on me.", The Joker lied. "You gotta get me out of here."

"Um... I don't know."

"Listen, I've been locked in here for _six_ years. I haven't done anything wrong aside from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ya need to get me out of here. It's the _right_ thing to do. I'll pay you! I have lots of money."

Tim chewed his lip. "If I get you out... can you give me... ten grand?"

The Joker chuckled, "If you get me out of here, I'll give you twenty!"

That was all Tim needed to hear to motivate him. "Okay, I'll do it. But I don't know how to open the lock. There's some sort of scanner here. All I have is a keycard for the building."

"It's, uh, a fingerprint scanner. You've gotta get a copy of your dad's prints."

"Well how do I do that?", Tim asked.

"Ya need some Scotch tape. Stick it against anything he may have touched: keyboard, telephone, toilet handle. Then place the tape against the scanner."

"How do you know how to do that?", Tim asked suspiciously.

"Haventcha ever watched a spy movie, kid? Now go!"

Tim took off his backpack again and dropped it to the floor before he ran back to the desk he saw when he first entered the basement. "Tape, tape, tape...", he said to himself. He found the black dispenser next to the desk phone. He unwound and cut off several pieces and stuck them to the keys of the keyboard and on the numbers on the phone. He ran back and placed a piece on the scanner. It beeped negatively and he wiped off the residue with his sleeve before he tried a second piece. It beeped again. This time a message lit up. "Two tries remaining until 24 hours waiting period commences." Tim hit the speaker button again. "I tried twice and now it's telling me that I can only try two more times."

The Joker growled to himself. "It's probably a thumbprint. Go back to his desk and put the tape on the left side of his computer mouse. That's where his thumb would rest."

"Got it." Tim raced back to the desk and took a sample of the print. He felt winded from the running back and forth and the excitement of the situation. He placed the tape against the scanner and finally it beeped a positive note and the locked groaned as it came undone. The door flew open, pushing Tim back a second time to the floor. The Joker stepped out and looked around the room, attempting to get his bearings. Then his eyes settled on the boy on the floor who was scrambling backwards.

He looked different than Tim remembered from the new stories he saw as a kid with the long scraggly hair, but he would remember the face with those scars for the rest of his life. His father had been keeping The Joker locked up. Everyone thought he was dead, but Tim just released him. He suddenly felt very ill.

"Hey, uh _thanks_ kid. Can I borrow your jacket?"

Tim nodded quickly and jerked the black bomber jacket off his body and threw it to The Joker who was clad only in gray sweatpants.

"Thanks.", The Joker winked as he slipped the coat on and buttoned it up. He took a deep inhale and sighed. "Fresh air."

"Look dude, I let you out okay? I won't tell anyone. I swear!", Tim said frantically.

"Oh no, that won't do! I want you to tell _everyone_.", The Joker said as he stepped forward and grabbed Tim by the collar of the shirt. "I want Gotham to know that I'm back." He turned and threw the boy into the cell and slammed the door as he laughed. He spotted the discarded backpack on the ground and reached for it. Opening it up he found the Uzi and several rounds. "Merry Christmas to me!", he said cheerfully as he loaded the gun and tucked it into the back of his pants.

His bare feet plodded against the floor as he headed to what he assumed was the front of the room. He had never seen outside of his cell and he took it all in as went. At first he wondered if he was in the basement of a museum as there appeared to be so many archived items. He walked to a closed cabinet and pulled open a drawer. "Would you look at that.", he said out loud as his finger ran along the edge of one of several bat-shaped weapons. "Batarangs" he affectionately called them when Batman used them against him long ago. The Joker felt amused at the thought of being kept among Batman's possessions as though he was a souvenir. He found the elevator and let himself in. The floor of the elevator proudly displayed a large W and the words Wayne Enterprises. Rolling his eyes to the ceiling, everything began clicking inside his thoughts. Well this certainly complicates things, he thought to himself.

He heard the ding as the elevator stopped and the doors are opened as he pulled the Uzi from behind.

Two security guards were stopped outside the doors, tipped off by the moving elevator.

"Hi.", The Joker said apologetically before blowing them away.


	30. Chapter 30

Bruce had decided to call it a night earlier than usual, choosing to leave work on time and have dinner with Harley and Lucy. He considered heading out into the night after Harley went to sleep, but she had looked so good in the little black dress she wore to dinner, he decided to take her to bed instead. As she rested quietly next to him in between the silk sheets, head resting on his shoulder, he lay awake, staring at the ceiling. They would be celebrating their engagement at a party the next night. It would be a grand event in the penthouse of the Gotham Royal Hotel. Neither of them were particularly looking forward to the party, but it was expected. He turned his head to see the way her beautiful blonde hair tumbled over her shoulder and sprawled across her pillowcase. The silk sheets hugged her naked body, resting on top of every curve. 

He had known from the moment he laid eyes on her that she was special. He had never known someone with the kind of light he saw in her eyes. He had loved Rachel Dawes, but they were never meant to be together. He still felt pain when he remembered how she was taken from this world by evil. She was taken from him. He hated The Joker all the more for it. He felt some sort of justice was served after Harley had chosen him. He couldn't help the feeling of smugness that bubbled up when he saw Harley in _his_ bed or wearing _his_ shirts. The Joker couldn't have _everything_ he wanted.

He felt like Harley had been brought to him by destiny. He longed to have any part of her, whatever she was willing to give. He spent so much of his time wanting to learn all about her. He had kissed the old scars on the insides of her thighs, wishing he could make them disappear. He had developed a need to protect her. That was why he locked The Joker away. He refused to kill him, but he had no qualms about sealing the clown away until his last breath. He would do anything to protect Harley from him. Anything. Harley never talked about him, but sometimes when they made love, Bruce wondered if she was imagining The Joker above her. She would never tell him the truth.

It was that final thought that made Bruce feel restless and he gently rolled Harley off of him before getting out of bed. His cell phone vibrated on the nightstand and he quickly picked it up before the sound woke her. The screen flashed JIM GORDON. "This is Bruce.", he said quietly into the phone.

"Mister Wayne. I have some bad news. It appears there was a break in at Wayne Enterprises. A couple of security guards were shot and killed. We have men searching the building, but it appears that the perpetrator got away."

"That's awful.", Bruce said apologetically, but his heart began to beat a bit faster. He brushed away the thought that one of The Joker's men had come to his rescue. No one could have possibly known he was there. "Did you get the person on the cameras?"

"We're looking into it right now, actually. Oh hold on, here they come. Oh –", Jim said as he cut off. "Oh, you're not going to believe this."

"What? What is it?", Bruce asked impatiently.

"It's hard to tell without the make-up, but this guy looks just like… The Joker. I can't believe it."

Bruce ended the call and found himself breathing heavily as he watched Harley sleep peacefully. His world was about to be ripped away from him. It would only be a matter of time before The Joker came to reclaim his Harley Quinn. Bruce refused to let that happen.

* * *

Harley shifted under the sheets as the sunlight beamed across her features. She rubbed her eyes before they fluttered open. The bed was empty, but it was just then that Bruce entered from the attached bathroom and saw that she was awake. He looked so grim. His usual bright smile was nowhere to be found and Harley found herself sitting up straight in bed. "What's wrong?", she asked. She pulled the sheet cross her chest, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

Bruce shook his head and snatched up a remote from the bedside table. He switched the television on and immediately, _his_ face was filling the screen, an old mugshot from his last stint at the MCU. The news anchor's voice spoke, "…people of Gotham are obviously concerned. After a six year hiatus, The Joker has apparently returned. Security footage from Wayne Enterprises shows a person who appears to be The Joker, shoot two security guards before leaving the premise last night. The police are on the lookout…"

For a moment, Harley thought she hadn't woken from her dreams. She raised a finger toward the television screen. "That's… that's…"

Bruce muted the sound and tossed the remote on the bed. He nodded and looked to the floor, lips pursed. "Guess he was alive after all.", he shrugged.

Harley rubbed her face with the palms of her hands. She couldn't tell if she was frightened or excited. He was back. He was alive. All this time. He was alive all this time and he let her believe he was dead. Why hadn't he come for her? _He's back now, Harley! He's back and he's coming for you…_ The voice whispered in the back of her mind.

"Harley, I'm staying home with you today. I don't want you alone.", Bruce said with finality.

"You think he knows I'm here? You think he would come for me?", she asked feigning curiosity, trying to mask the hopefulness in her voice.

"I don't know. I don't know what he plans to do. Who does?", he shrugged.

Harley thought for a moment, "But, the engagement party is tonight. Should we cancel?"

"No, no, it will be a good distraction for everyone. If he's coming for you, he will find you anywhere. You're safer with people, with me.", Harley nodded.

Pam had flown in from California to attend the engagement party. The two women had visited each other a few times since she moved to the west coast and they talked on the phone often.

* * *

Currently, they were getting ready for the party in the master bathroom. "This hair of yours is untamable, Harley", Pam said as she wrestled with a curling wand and an arsenal of bobby pins. "We're supposed to leave in…", she glanced at the large wall clock over the bathtub, "fifteen minutes."

Harley sighed as she finished her makeup, smearing on some red lipstick. "Sorry… ouch!", Harley squealed as Pam accidently snagged a lock of her hair.

"Sorry, sorry!", Pam apologized. "I'm all wound up."

"Because of him?", Harley asked.

Pam sighed, an admission that she was indeed worried. "I've got a bad feeling about tonight."

Harley lifted her eyes to look at her friend in the mirror. Her face was blank, but her mind was racing a million miles an hour.

Bruce popped into the bathroom, fixing a cufflink. "The babysitter's here. Are you about ready?" Pam turned off the curling wand and shrugged. "Best we're going to get, I suppose." Harley made a dismissive gesture and walked over to Bruce. She straightened his tie and pulled him in for a quick peck.

A moment later, Lucy, wearing pajamas and holding a teddy bear came to say goodnight. "You look so pretty mama." Harley leaned over, although Lucy was nearly as tall as she was at only ten-years-old, and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Be good for Becky!", she ordered. It wasn't necessary to remind her. Lucy was a good girl. She did well at school, excelled in gymnastics, was well behaved, and liked by everyone who knew her. Lucy gave a small giggle and rolled her eyes.

She looked up to Bruce and said, "You look real nice too… dad." Her cheeks bloomed a bright shade of red. Bruce was caught off guard by the new title. He loved Lucy like she was his own, but he had never pushed her to call him anything other than what she was comfortable with. Sensing the embarrassment from the little girl, he cleared his throat and gave her a hug. "Thank you, sweetie." Harley felt mixed emotions. This was what she had always wanted for Lucy, so why did she not feel elated that her daughter had a father figure in her life like Bruce? Wasn't that the whole point of their relationship? It had all been for Lucy.

Pam started gesturing that it was time to leave the manor and head to the party.

Bruce sat in the back of the limo with Harley and Pam as they made their way to the party at the Gotham Royal Hotel. It was nearly eight and he was ready for his first drink. All three of them sat silently. It was obvious they knew life was about to change with The Joker back in the city. He looked at Harley and wondered what she was thinking. Would she throw herself back into the arms of her old lover or would she run from him, determined to stay on this new path?

He had gotten more details on situation at Wayne Enterprises. It seemed that Lucius' son had somehow made his way to the underground storage area and unknowingly had stumbled upon The Joker. The boy was luckily okay, but quite shaken up when he was discovered by Lucius himself. The police had left the tower before doing a thorough investigation of the entire premise. Finding The Joker was more important than figuring out how or why he had been at Wayne Enterprises in the first place. Bruce ordered Lucius to disassemble the cell that imprisoned The Joker for the past six years so that there would be no sign of their involvement. Lucius had not stopped apologizing, but Bruce assured him that he had done nothing wrong. The Joker was just not containable.

The limo pulled up to the magnificent hotel. There were already dozens of guests making their way in through the entrance. Glitz and gold draped the men and women. Reporters and paparazzi were flashing their cameras, waiting for the guests of honor. Bruce solemnly looked to Pam and asked if she could give him a minute alone with Harley. She nodded and opened the door to step out into the chaos, the voices of the reporters filled the vehicle loudly, but ceased as soon as the door closed again.

"Harley.", Bruce said softly as he slid off his seat across from her to knee on the floor. He ran his hands up the tops of her thighs before finding her clasped hands. He entwined his fingers with hers and brought them to his lips for a gentle kiss. She looked at him, eyes wide, small crinkle in her brow. "I want you to know that I understand if you have a lot on your mind right now."

Harley nodded and touched his cheek with her palm. "You're too good for me.", she whispered.

He shook his head.

She leaned in and gave Bruce a soft and lingering kiss. He savored it, not wanting to let her go. Worried that it would be their last. She pulled away and brushed a stray hair away from his forehead. "Let's go.", she smiled.


	31. Chapter 31

The penthouse was lovely, of course. A hundred plus people that Harley had never met before snacked on hors d'oeuvres, got drunk on champagne, and danced around the ballroom. Women laughed and flirted with men twice their age. Puffs of cigar smoke tainted the air with a musky, sweet smell.

Harley glanced around the room from behind her champagne flute. Bruce was standing nearby, politely conversing with a Wayne Enterprises board member. She never felt more out of place. There were eyes on her from every corner of the room and when she made contact, guests quickly turned away. She was well aware of the rumors that proceeded her; not that they were untrue. "Seduced by The Joker", "spent time in the looney bin", "only with Bruce for his money". Well the last one was untrue. She couldn't care less about the money.

She could see a clocktower outside the floor to ceiling windows. Nearly two hours had passed since they arrived at the party. Harley had been expecting The Joker to make an entrance at the party, but now she was having second thoughts. She found herself starting to feel a bit disappointed that he hadn't come. While dancing with Bruce, she examined the face of each and every hotel staff and server wondering if maybe he was in disguise, watching her.

"You're driving me crazy with this dress, Harl.", Bruce whispered as they slowly spun around to a ballad. The floor length red silk clung to her deliciously. The slit up to her thigh was borderline inappropriate. She smiled and was brought back to reality by the sound of her fiancé' voice.

"Well, you picked it.", she shrugged with a wink.

"It'd look better on the bedroom floor.", she said slyly. "About ready to get out of here?"

She was more than ready to leave, but it was at that moment something caught her eye. A server, carrying a silver tray. She could only see him from the back, but it was the hair that gave him away. Short and curly, dirty blond.

"Harley?", Bruce asked again.

"One second. I have to go to the ladies room.", she said distractedly, not taking her eyes off the man in her sights. She left Bruce standing alone until one of several greedy socialites pounced on him for a dance.

Harley was at a near jog, stilettos a little shaky with each jarring step. The man was just about to walk back through the door to the kitchen. "J!", she called, but her voice couldn't be heard over the commotion of guests and the small orchestra on the stage. "J! Wait!" She pushed through guests who gave her unpleasant looks. Some shook their heads, wondering just what Bruce Wayne saw in this commoner.

He disappeared into the kitchen and she was just a few steps behind. She pushed through the door and her eyes raked the room, searching. A man wearing a white smock walked toward her, wiping his hands on a towel. "Can I help you, ma'am?" She spared him a quick glance. "I just..." There he was, unloading the tray he had been carrying. She quickly left the chef and made her way to him. His back was still turned to her and she gently touched his shoulder. "J?"

The server turned around and to her grave disappointment, it was no body she knew. "Can I help you?", he asked with a puzzled look. No, this man looked nothing like The Joker other than he had similar hair. Harley apologized and assured him that she just thought he was someone else.

She left the kitchen, but wasn't ready to go back to Bruce. She thought the night might be somewhat different. She had hoped on some level, expected even, that The Joker would return for her. The more she thought about it the more she didn't understand why she assumed that. He hadn't come for her the last time he said he would, why would he want her now? She walked along the tall windows until she came upon a set of doors that opened to the balcony. Fresh air seemed like a good idea. She hadn't realized that her eyes had tears until the cool night breeze touched her. The doors closed behind her and she was alone. The balcony was quite large. There could be an entire separate party just out there, but was alone. The balcony was illuminated not only by the tall lamps lining the guardrail, but by the city itself. Gotham always looked beautiful at night.

She walked to the rail and rested her hands against the cool metal beam. She dared to look down. Hundreds of cars slowly driving the streets. Looking up, layers of buildings. So many places to hide. "Where are you?", she whispered.

She felt warmth at her back and suddenly, a pair of gloves hands rested on her hips. "Closer than you thin _k_.", he whispered in her ear.

Harley whirled around to suddenly be face to face with The Joker. His face was painted up, hair freshly dyed. He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head slightly. It felt like the air was stolen from her lungs. She didn't know where to start. She wanted to slap him and kiss him at the same time.

"Miss me?", he said plainly.

She did. She didn't realize just how much until that very moment. He brushed some stray curls off her shoulder and gave her body a thorough inspection. "All dressed up for little ol' me, Harley Quinn?"

"J... I didn't know what happened. Where were you?", she asked with her voice quivering. She watched as her hands dared to explore his body, making sure he was real. Her fingers traced the lapels of his jacket until they rested, splayed, across his chest. She could feel the pulsing of his heart.

"Well, doll, that's a, uh, long story and I don't think we'll have much time.", he replied.

"I thought you didn't want me.", she stated. It was her greatest fear. She wanted to know his feelings and to be put out of this misery of not knowing how he felt.

He sucked the inside of his scarred cheek, making a squelching sound. "Now how could I want something... I already have? I've told you before, you're _mine_."

Harley's cheeks flushed. Betrayal brewed in her belly and she couldn't meet his eyes.

His fingertips rested on her jaw as he slowly pulled her face back to look at him. "Well, what is it Harley? Hmm? Havent'cha missed me? Have ya been, uh, a _good_ girl?"

Her right hand covered the giant diamond on her left. He must have known, he always knew everything, but she felt so ashamed at that moment.

Before she knew what was happening she was lifted up by the hips and she squealed with a start until she was sat on the balcony's ledge. The breeze was a bit stronger there and the wind licked at her bare back and blonde tendrils flew around her face. She gripped his shoulders, afraid that she may fall or worse, he would push her. He had a harsh grip around her waist and he moved closer to her, standing between her thighs. She bit her lower lip.

"You think that Cracker Jack box ring matters to me?", he gave a high pitched giggle. "Oh Harl, I'm not afraid of Bruce Wayne." Just then he grabbed her face harshly, squeezing her cheeks together, making her wince. Her thighs tightened around his hips. "You've been allowed to play, but now daddy's back and it's time to go home." His lips were on hers. The tacky paint mixed with her lipstick. She felt exhilarated, something she hadn't felt in so long.

"Harley!", a voice called from behind The Joker. It was filled with gravel and angst. The Joker smiled before pulling away and setting Harley back on solid ground. The two turned to see Batman standing near, the light from the ballroom behind illuminated him as though he were angelic.

The Joker cackled. "Oh Bats, maybe I missed you more than Harley!", he called.

"Get away from him Harley!", Batman demanded.

"Not so fast, Harleykins", The Joker commanded and then he was pulling her to him with an arm wrapped around her waist and a knife against her neck. She squeaked as she was pulled tight to The Joker's chest and she grabbed at his forearm.

Harley had never seen Batman in person. She had seen images of him on the news and a rare photo in the papers. He was tall and brooding and yet he looked somehow familiar to her. He had said her name. How did he know her name and why was he here? Questions swirled around her head.

"Oh! Harley? Have you never seen The Batman before?" He made a tsking sound with his tongue. "Or... _maybe_ you have."

"Let her go.", Batman demanded.

"You've gotta stop saying that. Historically, it hasn't ended, uh, _well_.", The Joker giggled as he hinted of the fundraiser for Harvey Dent.

Batman took a step closer and the knife was pushed into Harley's neck, but it didn't break the skin. She thought it felt as though he had the flat side, rather than the sharp blade, against her. She gripped his arm all the more.

"Harley, he's no good for you. You deserve better.", Batman growled.

It was those words that sparked recognition. She squinted to try to get a better look at the familiar exposed jawline. "Bruce?", she asked quietly, almost embarrassed to make the accusation. How could Bruce be Batman? It just didn't make sense. Or did it?

"Ya wanna know where I've been all this time Harley? It's sort of a funny story. It involves our bat friend here." He gestured the knife toward Batman, but didn't let Harley go.

"So six years ago, Batman got the, uh, best of me. It _happens_ , I can respect a good fight. But instead of getting tossed into ol' Arkham, I'm tossed in an underground cell. Ya know what solitary confinement is, Harl? Some say it's the most inhumane _torture_ there is."

"I couldn't risk your escape again.", Batman finally spoke. "Harley wasn't safe with you out there."

The Joker giggled, "And why do we care so much about Harley, Bats? Don't you have thousands of other helpless citizens to care for?"

"Because, he's Bruce.", Harley said more confidently.

"Because _Batman_ is Bruce Wayne.", The Joker confirmed.

It was then that Batman shot a series of bat-shaped blades toward The Joker, landing in the arm that held the knife. The Joker growled and pushed Harley away making her tumble to the ground. She scrambled to sit up and watched helplessly as the two men fought one another while she begged them to stop. She covered her eyes for a moment and when she looked up again she watched as The Joker vaulted himself off the ledge of the balcony and she screamed. She ran to the ledge to see that he was no where to be found. She sighed in relief that he had somehow not become a splattered mess on the sidewalk. She saw that Batman was about to jump over the balcony to go after him when she yelled, "Bruce!"

He stopped and turned to her. She walked toward him and said, "We need to talk.".


	32. Chapter 32

Guests had started to notice Batman on the balcony. It was hard to miss the dark shadow, illuminated by the city lights and they were peering out the tall windows. Harley stared sternly at The Dark Knight, arms crossed. She quickly glanced toward the ballroom and then back at Batman.

"I'll meet you at home.", he said with no attempt to mask his true voice and she nodded. Seconds later he was disappearing off the ledge of the balcony without a sound.

Pam ran through the doors to Harley. "What happened? Are you okay?" she asked. She wrapped her arms around Harley's shoulders in a hug before checking her for bumps and bruises.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine.", Harley assured. "The Joker came back."

"What? Here?" A look of fear appeared on Pam's face and she looked behind her shoulder, searching for the clown.

"Yes, but he took off. Batman must have… known he was here and scared him off. I'm going to find Bruce and go home. Make up an excuse for us, will you?"

Pam nodded and walked Harley back inside.

It was a long ride back to Wayne Manor. She had so much to sort through and she was not looking forward to facing Bruce back home. Seeing The Joker again was a relief for her on many levels. She had been worried he was dead. But he hadn't died, Bruce had been keeping him hostage. The words _solitary confinement_ popped up and she felt sick. She didn't think Bruce would have been capable of putting anyone through that kind of torture. But he wasn't Bruce, well not only Bruce, he was Batman. It explained the long nights away and his vague explanations. It explained how Batman was able to afford such high tech gear and vehicles. She was surprised she hadn't put the pieces together earlier and now she felt foolish.

It seemed that The Joker still wanted her and would take her back, but was that what _she_ wanted? She had become comfortable in her life with Bruce or at least she felt some peace. It was absolutely what was best for Lucy, but her heart longed to be with The Joker. She felt trapped between two polar opposites. She was drawn to the light, but equally, if not more so, drawn to the dark.

Upon arriving home, Harley let herself inside and there was Bruce, already changed into more comfortable clothing. He looked almost nervous, like a teenager who had just been caught with drugs in his sock drawer. He gestured for her to follow him into the sitting room and she did. There was a fire glowing, providing the only light in the room. She took a seat across from him in one of the burgundy upholstered chairs.

"I didn't want you to find out this way.", he finally said.

"Oh? Find out what? That you've been stowing away The Joker for the last six years, letting him rot away or that _you're_ Batman?", she asked. Her arms were crossed again.

"Both, I suppose. I was going to tell you about Batman before the wedding. I wanted you to know, but I was just waiting for the right time. I had not planned on telling you about The Joker… ever."

Harley scrunched her eyebrows together. "How could you keep that from me?"

He sighed. "It was for the best. For you and Lucy.", he tried to explain. "If I had thrown him back in Arkham or Blackgate, he would have escaped again. He would have come back, just like he's doing now, and he would have taken you both from me."

"So this is all about your jealousy then? You were jealous that I might have still had feelings for him?"

"Back then? Yes, you would have ran away with him, Harley. Even now… I'm not so sure."

Harley looked down at her fiddling fingers. "He wouldn't have taken Lucy."

"What?"

"He doesn't _want_ Lucy. He never wanted her."

The thought angered Bruce. He couldn't understand how a father could not want his own flesh and blood. "Well I do. I want you both. I know I shouldn't have lied to you. Believe me, I know I shouldn't have kept these things from you. I was only trying to protect you. I wanted to give you both the life you deserve. Harley, I don't know what I would do without you and Lucy. You've been the only light in my life for so long."

Harley's fingers were digging into the soft armrests of the her chair. She had so many decisions to make and the champagne and adrenaline were still coursing through her veins. "I need to go to sleep. It's all just too much for me right now."

He nodded although he was still visibly frustrated.

After leaving Bruce, Harley went upstairs to take a shower. Pam had sprayed so much hairspray to get her up-do to stay that it would take a couple of washings to get it smooth again. The water felt hot on her back, but it comforted her. She could still feel the way his arms felt as he held her tight to him. The way the blade of the knife rested against her carotid artery gave her a rush. He had kissed her and it had felt so right. It felt like home.

She squeezed the soap out of her pink loofah and slammed it against the shower wall. Why did he have to come back after all this time? He was messing everything up! She was just starting to come to some peace about her life. She had a plan. The plan did not accommodate for her happiness, but it was a safe plan.

She could stay the course and marry Bruce. She could accept that he is Batman and live with his secret. Lucy couldn't be any safer after all. However, that would mean she was siding with someone who was adamantly against The Joker. No one seemed to hate The Joker more than Batman. Could she truly be okay with marrying him?

If she left Bruce and went back to The Joker, what would that mean for Lucy? It had become obvious that a life with The Joker would be chaotic, unstable and most of all, unsafe. Lucy would not be able to come with them. She couldn't leave Lucy behind.

With that last thought, it became clear to her. She would stay with Bruce Wayne and she would marry him. She would allow him to raise Lucy like his own. Her happiness was not important. Everything was always for Lucy.

The following morning, it was with tired eyes that Harley sought out Bruce. He quietly listened to her decision although he did not look relieved.

"If you are truly choosing to stay with me, Harley, then marry me now."

"Now? What do you mean?", she asked.

"Soon. Let's elope. Just you and I. This weekend. I can't wait any longer. I need to know that you are serious about being with me."

"Bruce, I-", she felt flushed and her pulse increased. It was then that Lucy walked in the room to see both adults looking very serious. She looked between her mother and Bruce and turned to leave after a quick apology for intruding.

"Lucy, wait.", Harley called. Lucy turned back before exiting.

"I wanted to let you know that Bruce and I have decided to elope. Honey, we're going to get married this weekend.", Harley said firmly, almost as though she was telling herself the news and a wide smile stretched across her face, but it was insincere.

Lucy's face lit up. "Really?! Wow!", she hopped up and down which made her ponytail bounce wildly.

Harley forced a smile and walked over to Bruce and gave him a kiss on the cheek and he rested his hand on the small of her back.

"I need to show you both something first.", Bruce stated.

He led them both to the library and the girls stood still as they watched him plink a few keys on the piano that was rarely used. They both gasped as a portion of the bookcase opened up to a secret passage way. Bruce gestured for the two to enter before him as he held the unusual door open. Harley guided Lucy in with her hands on her shoulder. The passage was dimly lit with arched ceilings and crumbling brick walls. Bruce led them forward past a short metal gate until they reached a large cargo elevator.

"What is this, Bruce?" Harley asked as she looked around the room.

Bruce closed the elevator gate. "I need you both to see this before we move forward. No more secrets.", he said with a slight shake of his head.

Lucy squealed and Harley's stomach flipped as the elevator plummeted to the floor. Once they reached the bottom of the dark basement, Bruce opened the elevator gate and they all stepped out. It looked like a dungeon. It was dark and quite cold. Harley had no idea she had been living above such a place all this time.

Lucy bravely stepped forward to explore. There were halls leading to caverns and old wooden crates stacked high. She saw something that stood out against the rest of the ancient room. A mahogany wardrobe. It wasn't too large, but it was beautifully carved. It was as though the young girl was drawn to it. Harley looked up to Bruce to see his reaction and he gave a nod that it was okay. Lucy's fingertips grazed the handle and she looked back to Bruce for permission.

"What's in here? Can I?", she asked.

"Go ahead.", he affirmed.

She pulled the handle revealing the contents. A light switched on inside as soon as the doors were peeled away. The suit was illuminated. The iconic mask, the armored chest plate, and the black flowing cape were all displayed in front of her. Lucy stood staring for a moment before realization swept her features. She jumped back.

"That's Batman's suit!", she yelped.

Bruce walked forward and kneeled in front of her. He took her small hands in his. "Lucy, I wanted you to know. This is no longer a secret between us, but you cannot tell anyone else. Do you understand?"

She nodded with awe still in her eyes. "My dad is Batman.", she said excitedly. "So wait, I have so many questions!"

Harley couldn't help but smile at her daughter's excitement. _You're making the right decision, Harley. Look how happy Lucy is. She is so safe here._ , she told herself. She watched Bruce laugh at Lucy when she began to ask if he had any real superpowers. _She may be safe for a little while, Harley. But it won't be long before The Joker comes here to get you and what will happen if he runs into little Lucy first?_ The voice that begged the question was not her own, but the voice she hadn't heard in a long time. It was a sinister sounding voice that taunted her, but it made her wonder… what if The Joker did come for her?


	33. Chapter 33

Restlessness was settling in like she was on the verge of a shiver. She sat up in bed and looked over to a sleeping Bruce. It was less than twenty-four hours until their wedding. They decided that a small ceremony would be for the best. There would be no paparazzi, no stuffy sophisticates, no five tier wedding cake, and though they did not speak of the possibility, no Joker. Alfred, Pam, and of course Lucy would be the only witnesses. From the courthouse, Harley and Bruce would jet off to Europe and spend two weeks honeymooning as they hopped from city to city where they would tan themselves on beaches and eat expensive cuisine. It would give them the quiet time together they needed after the whirlwind engagement. Lucy would be going back to California with Pam for two weeks on her own little vacation and she couldn't have been more excited.

Bruce had opted to stay at home for the night as to get the rest he needed. He snored softly next to her, but she hadn't slept a wink since getting in bed. He looked incredibly handsome in the moonlight. She couldn't help but remember the evening before her first courthouse marriage to Jack. The night he snuck into her bed at Ms Pat's house and proposed spontaneously. His boyish smile and modest ring were apart of some of her sweetest memories. She smiled to herself and hugged her knees.

She missed those days more than anything. Life was so much simpler. Sure she and Jack had their issues. They were both abandoned and hurt by their parents, Harley had given into self-harm tendencies, and there was never enough money. Their first apartment in the Narrows smelled of mold and there was an occasional rat in the hallway. School was challenging for Harley and Jack worked like a dog to make ends meet. But during the night when they both collapsed into bed, everything seemed okay again. Instead of the musty scent of the apartment, Harley could only smell the cologne Jack spritzed on after his cold shower. When the heat wasn't working they kept each other warm any way they could under the sheets. They forgot about their hunger when they were too busy devouring each other. Those days were difficult, but they were probably the best of her life. The sentiment made her feel a little foolish. You would think that she was currently in the best days of her life. She was living in a mansion so large that not even she had visited every corner. Her daughter had everything she needed or wanted. Their butler cooked and cleaned for them. Bruce was adoring and devoted. He was the protector of the city, her protector.

She shifted out of bed and plodded over to her dresser. She had a beautiful mahogany jewelry box that was a gift from Bruce on their first anniversary. The bottom drawer held pieces that she would never wear anymore; sterling silver chains, tarnished pendants, clip on earrings. But the drawer of discarded items held one of the most precious items she owned. She slid the wooden drawer out silently and found the ring nestled safely among the velvet. She rarely looked at her old engagement ring because it stirred too many feelings for her, ones she constantly tried to ignore, but she decided to indulge this time. The 14-carat gold could not compete with the new silver platinum ring that adorned her finger in beauty, but it certainly held more worth to her. She cautiously looked over her shoulder to make sure Bruce was still sleeping before she tugged the current ring off her finger, although it took some effort due to its stubbornness. She gently placed it on the dresser top and she picked up the old engagement ring, Jack's ring, and slid it easily upon her finger. It needed a cleaning, but it looked right there. She held her hand out and admired the dull gold and the small garnet stone.

Of course, Jack was gone now. She had finally come to terms with that right before he disappeared. Things could have turned out so differently by now if Bruce hadn't kidnapped The Joker and held him in confinement for those six years. She knew she would have run away with The Joker without a doubt. She would have tried to take Lucy, but she was grateful now that she hadn't. Lucy was finally given the life she deserved and the father she deserved in Bruce. Sometimes she felt that Lucy loved Bruce more than she loved her, but she was okay with that as long as Lucy was safe. Her thoughts drifted back to what could have been if she ran away with J. She definitely would not have stayed somewhere near as nice as Wayne Manor. No, he probably moved around a lot and stayed in inconspicuous areas like abandoned apartments buildings. It probably would have been a lot like the place they stayed when they were first married. She smiled at the thought of waiting for The Joker to come home, keeping the bed warm for him. He probably spent a lot of time working on his plots against Gotham. She imagined rubbing his shoulders as he sat at a wooden desk with maps and notes sprawled out in front of him. She loved listening to him talk. He was a genius, always was.

Harley found herself relatively apathetic about the City of Gotham yet she was trapped between two men who were passionate about it. They both saw different opportunities available. The Joker, she concluded, wanted to break the people. He reveled in the possible anarchy. He wanted to see chaos reign and burn it to the ground. Batman, however, wanted to lift it up from the ashes. He believed that the good outweighed the bad and was willing to break his back as he carried the city forward on his shoulders. The opposition was thrilling to Harley. It was like an exciting novel and she was just hoping she'd be around when the exciting climax arrived. But, she had already chosen a side, hadn't she? She frowned as she slid the gold ring from her finger and placed it back inside her jewelry box and closed the drawer. She had chosen the light side, the "good" side. In just a matter of hours she would be pledging her life to the savior of Gotham which meant she would be promising to stand by him as he attempted to defeat the dark. Most people would feel good about that decision. Who wants the bad guy to win anyway? But it wasn't about winning, she decided. It was about the fight. It was about breaking barriers and crushing walls. It was about potential and being free. Her heart began to pick up the pace as her thoughts progressed. It was all about becoming who she was meant to be.

She whirled around and looked at the sleeping man in her bed. Who was she meant to be? Later that night she would be Harleen Francis Wayne: wife of billionaire Bruce Wayne, Gotham socialite, and what else? What else was there? Of course she was a mother, she would be a mother no matter what, but other than married to one of the wealthiest men in the world, who would she really be? She couldn't come up with a single answer. She had shoved her identity in a box deep inside herself and had refused to let her out.

 _But you aren't Harleen Wayne… you never will be. You will always be Harley Quinn. You are not meant for the light side. You were meant for much greater things._ That voice crept up again inside her head. She shuddered.

She decided to go for a walk. The bedroom was feeling stuffy and the sight of Bruce sleeping soundly annoyed her. She stepped out into the hallway and found herself drawn to Lucy's bedroom. The girl had fallen asleep with her bedside lamp on and a book laid on top of her chest. She was so beautiful. Lucy was meant for greater things too, but Harley couldn't make that decision for her. Lucy was nothing but pure potential. She was brilliant like her father and she looked up to Bruce. She was a mix of two great men, powerful men. Harley knew that one day Lucy would come to a crossroads and she would have to make a choice, she only hoped that whatever she decided, it would make her happy.

She backed out of Lucy's room and walked briskly to the bathroom at the end of the hall. It was a bathroom rarely used since the bedrooms each had their own en suite. Her eyes were a bit swollen from the lack of sleep and her hair was a tangled mess from tossing and turning in bed. Did most women look like this the night before their wedding? _Only a wedding they knew they'd regret._ Harley scowled at the thought.

"What am I supposed to do, huh?", she asked aloud. "What am I supposed to do?"

Tears spilled over the rims of her eyes and she let out a heavy sob.

"This isn't what I want.", she said hoarsely. She leaned over the vanity and rested her forehead against the mirror. She allowed herself to cry and she hit the mirror with a balled up fist. The impact hurt and a small crack appeared. She hit it again and the crack spread further until there was a spider web of splits in the glass. A few pieces fell onto the counter and she heard the metallic clink as they landed in the sink. She reached down and grabbed a larger shard and hiked up her silky nightgown. The stress she had been feeling dulled as she raked the edge through the old scar tissue of her inner thigh. Blood dripped down her leg and stained the plush white rug beneath her bare feet. She hissed through her teeth and tossed the glass back into the basin. Her hands were stained red as she compressed the wound. She looked back to her shattered reflection. Her face was warped and disjointed through the cracks. It was a poor reflection of her outside, but she smiled as she realized it was a perfect reflection of her inside. She reached out with a bloodied finger and traced a bloody red smile across the mirror image.


	34. Chapter 34

A special occasion like today called for a special tie. He stood in front of the closet and his hands pawed through the various suit coats and dress shirts before he found a hanger draped with silk ties. Blue paisley. It matched her eyes. He pulled the tie off the rod and brought it to the bathroom where he put it on while watching himself in the mirror. He opened the medicine cabinet before him and pulled out a flask of whisky. It burned as it went down, but he didn't flinch. He returned the flask and pulled out a stack of compacts holding his signature colors.

As he began to smear the greasy paint around his scars, his mind began to wander. To say that he had not been looking forward to this day for quite some time would be a lie. He could not dismiss the feeling of excitement brewing in his belly although he felt ashamed of it. No one could ever know that he was capable of these sorts of feelings. The woman had proven herself to him over and over. Sure, she strayed while he was locked up beneath Wayne Enterprises, but he didn't blame her. In fact, he was tickled by the irony that she had cozied up to the Dark Knight. He couldn't wait to see Bruce's face when he took Harley back.

It wasn't only about revenge against Bruce though. He would want his Harley back regardless. He knew it was time. She had to find herself and accept that she was just like him. It took longer than he had hoped, but it was now or never and he was not going to let her get away again. If he were to ever lose her again, it would only be because she was dead.

He pulled a pocket watch from his vest. Two hours until showtime. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his desk and lit it up before he fell back onto the creaky mattress behind him. He took a long inhale and clouds of smoke danced above him. Having Harley back would fill the void he felt deep within. Sometimes he regretted ever knowing her because of the way she made him feel. She made him vulnerable and he did not like that. But if it weren't for her, he wondered if he would have become who he was now. _Unlikely_. He would have stayed just like the old Jack. The old Jack who was just trying to stay above water. Harley pushed him whether she realized it or not. Because of her, he had to step up and become stronger and braver. He felt he had an unrelenting obligation to protect her. She was as more precious than gold to him, more precious than dynamite. She was all he ever had and he still felt the same. Sure, he had The Bat. He felt Batman completed a different side of him. But Harley… Harley made him _whole_. She made him feel real. He pretended that Jack was gone. He _insisted_ that Jack had been killed off by his new persona, but that wasn't really the case. Jack just evolved. He didn't cease being himself, he just grew into his full potential. If he admitted to the world that he was _just_ Jack Napier, people would not believe him to be a threat. He would be someone that maybe had one really bad day and flew off the rocker. That wouldn't do… So if he embraced the persona of The Joker, well that really frightened people. To the world, he had no past. He just appeared. The very idea that someone so dangerous could just be created out of thin air was terrifying. But Harley was the only one who knew the truth. His precious Harley.

He finished his cigarette and looked at his watch again. He still had some time before he had to be at the courthouse, but he was feeling too anxious to wait any longer. He filled his pockets with a handful of knives. He was ready to reclaim his bride.

* * *

Bruce watched Harley as they waited their turn to enter the courtroom for their quick ceremony. The pit in his stomach had not disappeared since the run in during the engagement party. It only worsened after he revealed to Lucy that he was Batman. It became unbearable during the night before this when he decided that his only choice was to cease being the Batman. It only seemed logical. If he had to choose between Gotham and his family, his family would always win. He planned on telling Harley during their honeymoon that they would not be returning. Alfred would have the house packed and closed up. They would likely stay in Europe for a good amount of time, maybe forever. Sure he feared for the future of Gotham. He would be leaving it behind in the hands of The Joker. He hoped that his leaving would be enough of a distraction that The Joker would forget about Harley, but he knew that was unlikely. The odds seemed against them all, but he had to try.

Harley rubbed her hands together as she sat on a bench outside the courtroom. She squeezed her thighs together under her black knee length dress and felt the sting of the cuts from the previous night. The pain gave her something to focus on as they waited. A few feet away, Pam was painting Lucy's lips with a shimmery gloss and showing her how to smack her lips together to make the coat even. She felt Bruce's arm wrap around her shoulder as he whispered, "You look so beautiful today." She did look especially beautiful. The black dress flowed from the waist and was tighter across the bodice. She had matching black heels that accentuated her legs, making them appear longer. Her hair spilled down over her shoulders. Harley smiled and thanked him, "You look handsome too, Bruce." Harley's knee bobbed anxiously. Bruce assumed it was because she was excited about the ceremony, but Harley knew it was because she could sense The Joker was near.

Alfred's cell phone rang. He nodded at Bruce as he stepped away to take the call. After a few moments, the butler stepped back in and motioned for Bruce to come near.

"Something wrong, Alfred?", he asked in a hushed voice.

"Well, sir, that was the housekeeper calling. She came across an unusual scene in the east wing. The mirror in the restroom was shattered. There appeared to be some blood smeared across the remnants and on the floor."

Bruce turned his head to look at Alfred who in turn was eyeing Harley. Both men finally noticed the flesh colored bandage that was wrapped discretely around the side of her palm. Harley felt eyes upon her and looked toward the concerned men. She gave a small smile that didn't meet her eyes.

The courtroom doors opened and a woman dressed in a smart suit stepped out with a clipboard. "Wayne party?", she called out loudly as she pushed her black rimmed glasses higher onto the bridge of her nose. Lucy jumped up and clapped before skipping past the woman into the room. The rest of the group followed the girl inside.

"Are you alright?", Bruce whispered into Harley's ear as they walked through the doorway.

Her eyes glanced sideways at him, "Never better.", she said calmly.

The woman with the glasses informed Bruce and Harley that the judge would be in in a few moments and to make themselves comfortable. Bruce turned back to Harley and took her hands gently in his. "What happened here?", he asked as he glanced at the bandage.

Harley smiled and rolled her eyes. "I'm such a ditz, you know? Totally burned myself on my curling iron this morning."

Bruce looked skeptical and Harley could feel a red blush creeping up her neck.

"I'm gonna run to the ladies room. Wait for me?", she winked before hurrying out of the room.

She'd never actually experienced a panic attack before, but she imagined this is how it would start. Her chest felt tight and she was breaking into a sweat. She was moments away from marrying Bruce and she still wasn't sure she could go through with it. She followed the signs directing the way to the restrooms. She just needed a moment to collect her thoughts. She passed by offices with frosted windows embedded into the doors and black names stenciled on the glass. The hallway was fairly quiet and it seemed like it was never ending. Suddently, she heard a wail that sounded like a man's voice and at the same time, a splatter of red hit the glass of one of the doors she was about to pass. It stopped her in her tracks as she stared at the liquid as it dripped down from the window pane. Her rushed breathing slowed and she heard a sickening thump from inside the room.

She found herself intrigued as the blood reached the title on the door, "The Honorable Marcus Best". _He's heeeerrrrrre,_ the little voice echoed in her head. Her heart pumped hard in her chest, but everything else seemed like it was in slow motion as she reached for the door knob and turned. Just as she suspected, the judge that was assigned to be the officiant for the ceremony was lying in a heap on the floor with his neck pouring blood onto the wooden floor. The Joker was standing with his back turned to her as he was halfway into the black robe that belonged to the dead judge. Harley gasped and covered her mouth with her palm. The Joker turned his head to see her over his shoulder. He sighed.

"You ruined the surprise, Harley.", he said with annoyance, but there was a touch of humor to his words. He turned to fully face her and dropped the garment to the floor. He lifted his hands up as he awaited a response.

Harley looked to see that there was still no one in the hallway, but she chose to close the door behind her as she stepped into the office. She made sure to not get any of the blood that was now seeping through the cracks of the floor on her shoes.

"Wh-what are you doing here?", she asked although she hoped she knew the answer.

"I'd, uh, like to ask _you_ the same thing.", he said as he stepped closer to her. His head was angled down and he was looking at her as though he were eliciting an answer from a naughty child.

She bit her lower lip and looked away from his intense stare. "Hmm, Harley Quinn? Am I _spoiling_ any big plans for you today? Any prior… engagements?"

She took a deep breath and quickly walked toward him until their chests were touching. He raised an eyebrow as his eyes shifted between hers. She raised her hands to touch his face as she pulled him closer and she kissed him. It only took a second before his lips moved with hers and his hands wrapped around her waist. She was home again and she felt right. Her kisses became desperate and her eyelids became heavy. His paint smeared with her lipstick. His fingers twisted in her hair and her thumbs grazed his scars as she cradled his face.

She pulled away slightly and nodded. "I've decided. I'm ready for you. I want this."

He didn't say anything for a moment as he caught his breath. He licked the corner of his mouth before he spoke. "You're ready to throw your perfect life away? The money? The _man_?"

"You know I don't care about the money. I promised you before, I promised you that I would never leave your side. I may not understand what all of this is, but I will not leave you." She leaned in for another kiss, but he pulled back slightly and held her arms by the biceps. "What? What is it?", she asked breathlessly.

"This is it, Harley. This is what we've been building up to all this time. If you're with me, _you're with me_."

She nodded. "I want to leave Lucy with Bruce. Promise me, you won't hurt her."

"How is it a mother can leave her daughter behind?"

"I'm not _leaving_ her behind. I'm allowing her to be surrounded by the people that love her. I don't feel like she is safe with me. I can't explain it. I feel like as long as she is with me, I will be kept from you, and that puts me in a bad place – an unhealthy place. I don't want her to see me like that. She will be safe with Bruce and Pam."

"Don't be so sure about that, Harl. You know who Bruce is. You know that I will never stop pursuing him."

"Just promise me... you will never hurt her. I know that you and Batman have this... this strange relationship. He's never going to kill you and I don't think that you are ever going to kill him either, but that doesn't mean that Lucy needs to be involved. I want her to grow up strong and she will never succeed if she has me holding her back. I'm weak without you, J." She paused. "But hear me now, if you ever hurt her or involve her in any of your schemes, I _will_ murder you."

Her stern words riled something up inside of him. He had no real ill feelings toward his daughter. He mostly tried to forget she even existed. "Harley, we've been through this in therapy… I don't _scheme_."

She rolled her eyes before she poked his chest harshly. "Don't. Touch. Her."

He quickly grabbed her finger and silently threatened to break it. She held her brave face and he admired her for it. "As. You. Wish.", he said flatly.

She let out a sigh and he let go of her finger. "So now what?", she asked.

"Well, I had a much more elaborate plan to sweep you off your feet.", he shrugged. He pulled a detonator out of his pants pocket. "And now I can't even use this because _she's_ in the building."

"Can we just leave?", Harley pleaded.

He pursed his lips and thought for a moment as he studied the ceiling. "Yeah", he said finally.

He picked her up bridal-style and kicked the door to the office open. There were now several familiar people walking toward the office. The Joker didn't turn to see, but Harley could watch them over his shoulder as he hurriedly found the emergency exit.

She saw the look of sheer disappointment on Bruce's face. Although, he didn't look surprised. Pam looked angry, but mostly hurt. Harley wondered if she would ever talk to her again. Lucy peeked out from behind Pam with wide eyes. Harley finally felt as though she was about to lose her composure then. She pressed her fingertips to her lips and then held her hand out toward Lucy as she mouthed, "I love you".


	35. Epilogue

6 years later…

"You seem nervous."

"I'm _not_ nervous."

"Then why aren't we moving?"

"I'm just… not used to this car."

"It's not a car."

"Well, _what_ ever."

Lucy, now sixteen and a newly licensed driver, was sitting behind the wheel of the vehicle she had affectionately called the Batmobile since she was a child. Bruce sat in the passenger next to her with a patient face.

"I've seen you scale eight story buildings, Luce. You have a black belt. I _think_ you can handle this.", Bruce said with a tilt of his head. "Press the ignition."

Lucy frowned and sighed. She reached forward and pressed the simple button and the monster of a machine roared to life. He showed her how to shift and a moment later she mustered up the courage to tap the gas. Before she realized it, they were speeding down the dirt roads that wound around the back of the Wayne estate. She screamed initially, but then she couldn't stop giggling. Bruce gently guided her until she got the hang of the basic controls. He turned to her and smiled. The sound of her laughter was music to his ears.

* * *

That night, after a quick shower, Lucy got ready for bed. Summer was coming to an end and she was getting ready to go back to school the following day. She would finally be an upper classmen at the private institution that Bruce paid an arm and a leg for. The summer had been grueling for her. Not only was it one of the hottest in recent history, but Bruce had worked her hard during her training.

When he introduced the idea of "Bat Girl" to her a couple of years ago, it seemed like a fun idea. He was cautious about it. He wanted her to have plenty of time to think about it before she decided. He said he needed an assistant now that he was getting older. She scoffed at the reason because, sure, he was getting older, but he wasn't _old_. He was the strongest, most powerful man she knew. She admired her father more than anyone else in the world.

Of course, he wasn't her _biological_ father, but she didn't really think of that very often. As far as she was concerned, he was her dad and she loved him that way. He worked her hard physically as she prepared for her new life as a female vigilante who would someday, hopefully, pick up where he left off when he was ready to retire. He still punished her when she did stupid stuff like skip school, smoke a cigarette, or talk back, but he was fair and empathetic. They had a fairly normal relationship other than the sparring and weapon training.

She knew who her _real_ father was and she hated him. She had not seem him in person since he day he stole her mother from her. The Joker could rot as far as she was concerned and she could never understand why Bruce let him live. After all he had taken from them… he didn't deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of humanity. Although she did not admit it aloud, she hoped that after her full transformation into Batgirl and after she was strong enough, she could kill The Joker. Bruce would be mad. "We don't kill anyone if we don't have to otherwise we're no different than them.", he had said. She thought that was stupid, but she kept the sentiment to herself for the time being.

She crawled into bed and turned on the bedside lamp. She didn't feel ready to sleep. The impending school year was exciting, but still made her jittery. It was times like this that she wished her mother were around. Bruce was a great parent, but between him and Alfred, they significantly lacked the type of motherly guidance a teenaged girl needed. She hadn't seen Harley other than on the news from time to time. She didn't seem to be overly involved in The Joker's antics other than assisting in breaking him out of Arkham Asylum every couple of years. She wondered if she would ever come face to face with Harley Quinn once she was actively helping Batman.

She opened a small drawer in her nightstand and pulled out a journal. She didn't write much, but she sometimes documented strange dreams or doodled when she couldn't sleep. There were movie stubs, notes from friends, and polaroids stuck between the pages. In the very back was a worn piece of paper that she had read more times than she could count. She received the letter from her mother about a week after she ran off with The Joker.

_My sweet Lucy,_

_I know you are confused. I am too._

_I just want you to know that no matter what others will try to tell you or what you will try to tell yourself, I love you. I have always loved you. I will always love you. Love makes you do crazy things._

_You are right where you need to be. You are safe and cared for. Bruce is a good man._

_I'm on a different path than you… and that's okay. You'll see when you're older._

_I'm sorry things had to be this way. I'm so sorry. Just know that I think I'm doing the right thing for both of us even though it's hard._

_I hope you can forgive me, but I understand if you can't._

_I'm watching out for you. Be safe._

_Love, Mommy_

The paper was tearstained and crumpled. More than once she threw it in the trash only to desperately fish it out again a few minutes later. She longed to receive a second letter, but it never came. She didn't hate her mother. She missed her. She was angry at her, but she just wanted her back. If The Joker was gone, maybe she could get her back one day. She tenderly folded the letter and slipped it back inside the journal. She turned off the light and fell asleep.

* * *

Two years later….

"Just hold still, Puddin'. He gotcha good." Harley was carefully stitching up the gaping wound on The Joker's shoulder after a bat-shaped blade found itself embedded there. Her black rimmed glasses were perched on her nose as she straddled his lap. "There. All done." She topped the cut with a kiss and leaned back to look him in the eye. His makeup was runny and his hair was sweaty. Something about him coming back from a hard nights work always got her worked up.

He took a swig of whisky and frowned when the bottle was empty. He threw the bottle on the table in front of him. "He's got, uh, a helper now.", The Joker said as he gauged her reaction.

"What do you mean?"

He licked his mangled lips. "A girl. A _baby_ bat."

Harley thought for a moment. "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." He paused. "I didn't touch her." He hated that he had to answer to Harley about what he did and did not do, but he wasn't about to not keep his word. Not about this.

"She a good fighter?", Harley asked timidly.

"She single-handedly caught two of my guys. Wrapped 'em up nice and tight. Not bad for a lit-tle girl."

"I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said about her.", Harley said with a small smile.

The Joker let out a breathy chuckle. "She's gonna be trouble though."

Harley grinned. "Yeah?"

"You, uh, _Quinzel_ women are all trouble."

* * *

Harley found herself watching the news every night just waiting for a glimpse of the new "girl-wonder" Gotham was talking about. Finally, it happened. There was news footage of Batman and the newly introduced Batgirl after a museum robbery was foiled. She found herself glued to the television screen. She was beautiful. Her blonde hair was wild and flowed from behind her black mask. She wore a suit similar to Batman's and it showed off her athletic, yet slender body. Harley touched the screen and then the footage ended and the anchors moved on to the next story.

With a tear in her eye she thought, _My girl's a hero._


End file.
